AUS alumna and Managing Director of UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center highlights women's empowerment and inclusion

Women’s empowerment and inclusion has been one of the UAE’s core governance pillars since its establishment in 1971, said Her Excellency Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and Board Member in the UAE’s Gender Balance Council. Her Excellency’s address came as part of the Distinguished Lectures Series organized by the School of Business Administration (SBA) at American University of Sharjah (AUS), held in celebration of the AUS Silver Jubilee.

A holder of a Master of Business Administration from AUS, Her Excellency is leading the development of the UAE’s performance in sectors of global competitiveness, statistics, national data and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also oversees a range of policies outlined in the UAE’s National Agenda, with a strong emphasis on embracing the strength of statistics and competitiveness for policymaking and strategic planning.

In the fireside discussion moderated by Dr Savita Kumra, Associate Professor of Management, Her Excellency discussed the UAE’s efforts in the establishment of gender balance across all societal institutions. “Since its early days, the UAE has sought to engage women and ensure their social and economic empowerment through the establishment of the UAE Women General Union in 1975. This later developed to include political empowerment and participation in 2004 with the appointment of Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi as the first woman in the country's history to assume a cabinet position. She was entrusted with the very important portfolio of economy and trade,” said Her Excellency. 

She highlighted the continuous work of UAE policymakers in reviewing gender-related issues and setting needs-based priorities. “By shedding light on areas that need to be addressed, we are able to shuffle priorities and take them to the center of the government. Take for example the UAE’s Women, Business and the Law reports which look at women’s opportunities. They created an assessment of the women’s experience based on the eight pillars of mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension. This helped in looking at our areas of strength and areas for improvement and reform,” she said.

Her Excellency added: “Being a student is such a privilege and I have always admired the student status for many reasons, namely because there is no limit or ceiling to the imagination and what can be achieved. If I was to leave students with any thoughts, I would say passion, passion and passion. It is what brings you joy. I know being a student can be challenging, but at the end of the day it is all about how you frame what you are doing in your mind. This does not only apply to your student life but everything else you do. You will either enjoy what you do or face an internal struggle.” 

A word of advice for future generations, Her Excellency said: “I was once having a discussion with Minister of Youth Affairs Shamma Al Mazrui, and she told me about a life equation I apply now in my life and I would like to share it with students. For every situation you go through, think struggle = pain x resistance. So, the more you find yourself resisting something, the more painful it will be, and you will end up struggling. You need to find joy in what you do and if you are struggling a lot, it means something is off. It means you are doing something that your heart does not want and your brain is struggling with it. I truly hope you find joy in everything you do.”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Narjess Boubakri, Dean of SBA, said: “As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of AUS, we look at how our alumni have been creating change around the world and in the UAE. We want these lectures to inspire the future generation and give them an opportunity to  meet and listen to our renowned alumni and learn from them.”

This year, AUS celebrates 25 years of academic excellence, innovative research and community impact. The celebrations will run over a 12-month period and include a series of festive, reflective and scholarly activities that celebrate faculty, staff, students, alumni, and AUS business and community partners. For more information, visit www.aus.edu/jubilee.