GULF-WOMEN: UAE WOMEN CASTING ASIDE TRADITIONAL ROLES
ABU DHABI, Dic 15 (IPS) - WOMEN IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ARE SLOWLY CASTING ASIDE TRADITIONAL ROLES TO MAKE INROADS INTO THE COUNTRY'S WORKFORCE AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ACCORDING TO A RECENT NATIONAL SURVEY.
THE OFFICIAL SURVEY REPORT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN BEIJING NEXT SEPTEMBER, SAYS THE NUMBER OF WOMEN RECEIVING EDUCATION INCREASED BY 301 PERCENT DURING THE DECADE 1980-1990.
FOR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION THE FIGURE SHOT UP BY 400 PERCENT. WOMEN NOW COMPRISE 68.4 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE EMIRATES, THE REPORT SAYS.
IN 1980, WOMEN MADE UP 5.4 PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE. BY THE NEXT DECADE, THE FIGURE ROSE TO 16.3 PERCENT.
MOST OF THE WOMEN WORK IN THE NURSING AND TEACHING PROFESSIONS, TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS THEIR PRESERVE. BUT THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN NON-TRADITIONAL TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC OCCUPATIONS HAS ALSO BEEN RISING SLOWLY TO COMPRISE 20 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FEMALE WORKFORCE.
THE NEWLY QUALIFIED WOMEN DOCTORS ARE PROVING TO BE A BOON TO THE HEALTH SERVICE IN THE TRADITIONAL ISLAMIC NATION WHERE WOMEN PREFER TO BE EXAMINED BY SOMEONE OF THE SAME SEX.
DR. HAJER AL HOSANI, DIRECTOR OF MOTHER AND CHILD HEALTH AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH SAYS WOMEN DOCTORS, NURSES AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HAVE HELPED THE SERVICE TO REACH OUT TO OTHER WOMEN, RESULTING IN AN IMPROVEMENT OF GENERAL HEALTH.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH SERVICES FOR WOMEN, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY. "... MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH FIGURES IN THE UAE ARE NOW ON A PAR WITH THOSE OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES," SAYS DR. HAJER.
THE MINISTRY'S 1993 ANNUAL REPORT SHOWS THAT INFANT MORTALITY WAS 9.48 PER THOUSAND BIRTHS IN 1993 COMPARED TO 14.8 ONLY NINE YEARS AGO. THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IS NOW ZERO, HAVING FALLEN FORM 0.1 IN 1992. NEO-NATAL MORTALITY RATES HAVE DROPPED FROM 8.2 IN 1992 TO 6.46 IN 1993.
"THE FIGURES REFLECT THE FACT THAT 98 PERCENT OF DELIVERIES ARE NOW IN HOSPITAL, WHICH HAS REDUCED RISKS. MOTHERS ARE NOW GETTING BETTER ANTENATAL CARE, AND BETTER FOLLOW-UP AFTER DELIVERY," SHE SAYS.
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