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RITIKA SHARMA
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a Minister of Happiness now, and guess what is adding to the beauty of this position? The minister is a female! In an exemplary move, UAE has appointed Her
Excellency Ohood Al Roumi as the
Minister of State for Happiness.
While some countries are banning
females from entering public spheres and others are working hard to devise policies to make sure women get their fair shares, UAE’s move is nothing less than a lesson to the world that — talking is not enough, it’s time for action.
Earlier while it was being speculated that the visionary leadership of the UAE is looking at creating some offbeat but highly thoughtful ministries, it had got media across the world talking and now that the cabinet has been revealed, the appointment of a female as the minister for one of those ministries, is being lauded.
Not only this, five of the new roles in the cabinet have been given to women, which further showcases the UAE’s commitment to not just TALK but ACT, at all levels, about women empowerment.
While HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi has been appointed as Minister of State for Tolerance; Jamila Salim Al Muhairi is the new Minister of State for Education, Noura AlKaabi is the new Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Najla Mohammed Al Awar is the Minister of Community Development and Shamma Al Mazrui, the youngest of the lot, will handle the Youth National Council.
As reported by WAM, the new government includes eight new ministers, five of whom are women. The average age of the new ministers is only 38 years, with the youngest minister is a 22 year old female.
This not only reflects UAE leadership’s faith in women but most importantly it recognises the power and efficiency of youth, thereby defying the long held conception of ‘experienced and aged ministers as successful’ in rest of the world.
The impact of these new additions in ministries is bound to be more than positive, but for now it’s the number of females and the portfolios they are handling in the UAE cabinet that makes us beaming with joy and positivity. Good going UAE!