Emirati Women’s Day – 28th August 2024

“Emirati women have proven day after day that nothing is impossible with hard work, diligence, creativity, and hope for a prosperous future.”

– Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi
(Referred to as ‘Mother of The UAE and Mother of the Nation’)

How much do you know about the cultural backgrounds and influences of those you work with and alongside?

Do you question, consider and compare with your colleagues and compatriots across our sector?

At Lexonik, we genuinely consider that, as the saying goes ‘Every day is and can be a school day’.

For us, that means ensuring our team of account managers, trainers, leaders and strategists are always seeking to learn more about our audiences and how we best serve them and appreciate their worlds.

This comes into sharp focus for us today, Emirati Women’s Day.

It’s a day dedicated to honouring the achievements and contributions of Emirati women.

It was first formally established in 2015 by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, someone who has very much been a tireless advocate for women’s rights and empowerment in the UAE, leading to numerous initiatives which have transformed the educational landscape for women.

For us, the day has significance as an opportunity to consider the great many female teachers and education leaders we have been privileged to have met and worked with while delivering our training across the UAE in recent years.

As our CEO, Sarah Ledger puts it so perfectly:

“As a former teacher in the North East of England, I thought I knew a fair bit about women in education.

I considered I understood a lot about what impacts women leaders in teaching, and I used that experience to help in the start of my commercial journey at Lexonik.

But it’s when you travel beyond your own orbit a little further, and when you find out more about the experiences of others, and the influences of their culture and their approach and their passion – that’s when the beauty of learning about one another really happens.

We’ve now formed such great relationships with our Emirati teachers and school leaders that there’s no doubt we’ve been able to deliver a far greater service – and continue to do so.”

Of course, it’s natural that we have specific interest in the literacy rate of women in the UAE.

As of this year, it stands at a very impressive 95.8%, compared to 93.1% among men. This has grown from 79% for women and 75% for men since 2000 – a huge leap in a few decades.

Women constitute 80-90% of the student population at two of the nation’s three federal institutions of higher learning, and, latest figures suggest 77% of Emirati women enrol in higher education after secondary school.

Women also account for 56% of the UAE’s graduates in STEM courses at government universities, and 60% of the Emirate graduate students at Masdar Institute of Science are female. Today we take a moment to applaude Emirati women and the institutions and organisations which help them excel.

If you’re working with teachers and leaders from other backgrounds, be more curious.

Have the conversations which enrich your understanding.

And if you’re at all interested in hearing more about our UAE work, or wanting to be in touch with one of our Emirati customers to know why they use us, simply email [email protected].