Establishment and Goals:

It was established as headed by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak on 27th of August in 1975 upon the Union Law (no. 6) of the year 1974. It is a legislative framework by itself would not have been sufficient to achieve the level of emancipation experienced by UAE women today. Understanding that organization was required at the grassroots level, there has been several women organizations all over the country:

1. Abu Dhabi Women’s Society on 8 February 1973.
2. Dubai Women’s Development Society in 1973.
3. Sharjah Women’s Development Society in 1973.
4. Umm al-Qaiwain Women’s Development Society in 1973.
5. Umm al-Mou’meneen Women’s Development Society in Ajman in 1974.
6. Ra’s al-Khaimah Women’s Development Society in 1976.

These societies were subsequently linked together under the UAE Women’s Federation which was established on 27 August 1975, again presided over by Sheikha Fatima. The UAE Women’s Federation, recently renamed as the General Women’s Union, and housed in a magnificent new premises in Abu Dhabi, is an autonomous body with its own budget.

In their objectives, the women organizations in the UAE endeavor hard for developing women's image and self-esteem, encouraging education and eliminating illiteracy among adult women, conducting evening classes for their further education, ensuring that social services and care reach women and their families, and helping women take better care of their families.

Local women have learned to organize themselves, set up literacy campaigns, establish craft and vocational centers. Above all, the women's societies have prepared local women to play an increasingly active role in social development. Under Sheikha Fatima's leadership the Women's Federation has influenced many of the social developments which have given women a greater role in drawing up and executing social welfare projects, and in influencing future social policy.

To date, the union has played an important role in assisting the women of the UAE to realize their full potential. Depending on the geographical size of the emirate, the individual societies in the union may have more than one branch and there are now over 30 branches of the six societies, many operating in remote areas of the country.

Activities undertaken by the individual branches, often in association with the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), include impressive health education and literacy programs, nursery classes, housekeeping, dressmaking and handicraft classes, art classes, child care advice, vocational training projects, language and computer courses, job placement programs, religious education, welfare assistance, family mediation services, as well as a busy calendar of social, cultural and sporting activities.

The priority of the Women’s Union in the early days was to help women emerge from seclusion, use their leisure time to become literate, and acquire knowledge about the modern world, in order to enable them to raise their family’s standard of living. Having achieved much in this area, today’s goals are linked to comprehensive social planning in the country, with a view to combating negative social phenomena and increasing social cohesiveness within a framework of Islamic values.

Medals and Shields:

 ·       The honoring of H.H. Sheikha Fatima on the Egyptian land where H.E. Hussni Mubarak granted her the Excellent Medal of Perfection, that is mostly the highest medal granted for kings’ and presidents’ spouses, on May 18, 2003.

·       Athena Award of Feminine Superiority on 9/3/2003 honoring her efforts in the field of education.

• Imam Mohammad Bin Sand University Shield on 24/12/2002 honoring her efforts in the field of religions awareness.
• Feminine Educational Character of 2002 on 5/8/2002 from the students of the UAE greeting her efforts in the issues of education .
• Al Quassimi First Rank Medal on 24/6/2002 from the wife of ruler of Ras Al Khaima honoring her efforts in the development of Ras Al Khaima.
• Childhood Character of 2001 on 6/11/2001 honoring her efforts in the field of childhood support.
• Golden Slogan of the UN Supreme Commission on 4/4/2001 honoring her human efforts.
• ULESCO Award of Illiteracy Emancipation on October 2000.
• Human Character Award of 1998.
• Cultural Campus Shield of 2000 honoring her role in the women’s issues and religions awareness.
• Gratitude word Shield of 2000.
• Dubai Shopping festival Medal on 12/3/2000.
• Shield of UAE Guides Association honoring her generous offers in the women’s support and national development.

Program of Students society Development:

2002 Development:

Within her attention to the Emarati women, Her Highness Sheika Fatima emphasizes the role of women in building up the coming generation and preparing its healthy personality. This task is to be performed effectively and totally within the context of the societal development. The General Women Union has rendered these directions and emphases in reality as including an educational instructional program of several preventive activities that aim at protecting our women from any dangers or risks into the UAE society, and forming a committee in cooperation with the educational district of Abu Dhabi and Maternity council to supervise the execution of this program.

2003 Qualification Course for Housewives:

 This course includes the arts of being gentle, growing children, serving banquets, dealing with guests, preparing various meals. 

2000 Program of Scientific Research:

 It was upon the directions of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima. It aimed at studying and analyzing the most prominent issues of phenomena in the UAE society and getting a set of policies and suggestions that could develop this society.

2000 Qualification Program of Joining University:

The idea of this program came from the availability of some secondary school graduates who were interested in continuing their higher education. Therefore, it was necessary for them to acquire certain certain skills to be able to pass the principal stage of university study well.

 Holy Quran Courses:

This center was organized in cooperation with the religions committee. It aimed at educating women how to recite the Holy Quran and keep it in mind to be their judge at any healthy situations.

Cultural Social Center:

This center was established under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima on 19/9/2000 in the Officers City ion Abu Dhabi to serve a wide category of people there. This center had several goals that are summarized by the following:

·        Spreading the feeling of national loyalty.

·        Spreading the cultural, social and health awareness.

·        Encouraging people to exploit their free times and working hard even voluntarily.

·        Developing people’s abilities and talents in several fields.

·        Enhancing religions values and family basics including bringing up children and developing their feeling of creativity.

·        Encouraging people to study and love knowledge.

Information Office:

It was established in 1999 as a joining point between the General Women Union and mass media means. It is in charge with covering all activities preformed by the Union  locally and regionally as it manifests the Unions invitational and cultural role.

Office of National Graduate Employment:

Upon the directions of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bun Sultan Al Nahyan of the necessity to assist the Emarati women, the office of employment was established in 2000 to get real opportunities of job for the graduates to contribute into the national development process.

Vision Office ( Ru’yaa):

As interested in achieving the real integration of family services especially those that are directed toward, children, the Vision Office was established in April 2001 within the General Women Union. The office is in charge with preparing an interactive hierarchy for the family care to include several consultant administrations and analytical study departments to define the reality and circumstances of these children and identify their psychological and health needs and as well all of what causes their family security and stability. Through this office, the children can see their parents and vise versa in case of not having a certain place to see each other as a result of the parents divorce in order to remove any bad effects of this separation.

Exhibition of Productive Family:

Within the support of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima to the Emarati ladies that is responsible for her family, the idea of establishing an annual exhibition was launched to include all sorts of production of the working families that couldn’t show their products into the markets. This idea led to a festival that became an annual occasion. It has been held for six years since 1997 under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima who is interested in opening such an exhibition and meeting these working families. The main goal of this is actually to encourage these families to be more productive and feel confident that their products are useful and can be used by others. The development of the productive family economically and then socially is one of the objectives of this annual exhibition in which the ladies can find new income sources to improve their family’s living standards.

 The exhibition has developed widely as it has passed several circles of challenge and difficulty. The participation was really big especially in the sixth time in Marsh in 2002 in the Exhibition land in Abu Dhabi as the productive families were estimated at (200) in addition to the first participation of the Emarati business women and diplomats wives in the UAE.  The exhibition has participated in many Arab and foreign festivals and charitable centers such as :

1-     Charitable souq in Cario 2000.

2-     Charitable Bazar in Jordan 2000.

3-     Charitable Souq in Sudan 2000.

4-     Muscat Festival in 2000.

5-     Charitable Festival in Washington 2000

6-     Charitable Bazar in Germany 2000.

7-     Charitable Festival in Brazil 2000.

8-     Annual Charitable Souq in Cairo 2001.

9-     Charitable souq in Qatar 2001.

10- Charitable Souq in Tunisia 2001.

11- Charitable Souq in Beirut 2001.

12- Charitable Souq in Jordan 2001

13- Charitable Souq in  Muritania 2001

14- Fourth Diplomatic Charitable Souq in Doha 2002.

15- First Public festival in Ohawa 2002.

16- Charitable souq in Syria 2002.

17- Third Diplomatic Charitable Souq in Beirut 2002.

18- Annual Exhibition in Washington 2002.

19- Diplomatic charitable Bazar in Amman 2002.

Salama Bint Batti center of Religions Instruction:

This center was established in 2002 as a land mark of cultural and religions awareness and instruction. It is considered as one of the most important cultural institutions that follow the General Women Union. It includes a set of classes of Quran memorization and jurisprudences education, as well as the religious and cultural lectures and sessions.

Childhood Festival:

On the 2nd of October each year, the Women Union organizes a childhood festival celebrating the Arab Child Day in which the children acquire new several talents and skills through what they receive of educational activities and entertain mental programs.

Higher Council of Motherhood and Childhood:

This council represents a prestigious initiative leading to developing the plans and programs that are directed towards children on the land of the UAE.

Feminine Movement in the UAE:

Women in particular have wholeheartedly embraced the impressive educational opportunities made available to them. Female students are in the majority at all levels of higher education in the country. Women are also achieving excellent results in their studies, outstripping their male counterparts at every turn. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Sheikh Zayed’s wife and Chairperson of the General Women’s Union, has said that women have no choice but to excel in education to compensate for the long years that they have endured without the light of knowledge prior to the establishment of the federation. Equal access to education is zealously guarded.

Access to education has given UAE women the opportunity to participate alongside men in the development of their country. Today, UAE women are making their presence felt in society as civil servants, university professors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, doctors, under-secretaries, business women, administrators, and as members of the police force and the army. The belief that women are entitled to take their place in society is grounded in the UAE Constitution which guarantees the principles of social justice for all, in accordance with the precepts of Islam. Under the Constitution, women enjoy the same legal status, claim to titles, access to education, and the same right to practice professions as men. The guarantees enshrined in the Constitution have been carried through into implementing legislation.

International Women's Movement:

UAE women have played an active role in the international women’s movement, always taking care to ensure that proper attention is paid to the recognition of the differences between religions, cultures and traditions. The UAE strongly believes that Islam offers guarantees for the position of women that can act as a useful example to the rest of the world. With this overall philosophy, the UAE General Women’s Union has participated in all of the major international women’s conferences over the last few decades, beginning with that held in New Mexico in 1975, followed by Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995.

At the end of 2001, the UAE through Sheikh Fatima and the General Women’s Union expressed its full support for the creation of the Arab Women Organization (AWO) as a practical translation of Arab women’s aspirations.

The UAE General Women’s Union is establishing a detailed national database on UAE women. This database is the first of its kind in the Arab world, and will contribute significantly to the exchange of information with women throughout the region. An important role in the dissemination of the material will be played by the web site established by the West Asia Regional Office of the United Nations Women’s Organization (UNIFEM).