Emirati women at the heart of the Cultural and Heritage Cultural Project
Abu Dhabi, August 26/ WAM/ Women lead the cultural and heritage scene in the UAE as a leader, an inspiration and a renewable national identity maker, through several roles, the most prominent of which is the contribution to preserving the popular heritage, and turning it into contemporary content that keeps pace with modernity, without cutting the link with the roots.
It contributes to enhancing the position of women in the field of preserving the popular and cultural heritage, an integrated system of policies and initiatives launched by the Ministry of Community Development, the General Women’s Union, and the Emirates Council for Gender balance, in addition to cultural empowerment programs led by the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
The UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State “may God protect him”, attaches great importance to the role of women in preserving the popular heritage, as an active partner in enhancing the principles of Emirati identity, and preserving the civilized memory of the state.
This support is evident through the role of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak “Mother of the Emirates”, President of the General Women’s Federation, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, which believed in the ability of women to contribute to the positive contribution to the renaissance of their country and the development of its community.
Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan Cultural and Educational Institutions, said that Emirati women played a fundamental role in preserving the cultural heritage, not only as a carrier for him, but as a secretary on the values and customs that make up the original Emirati character.
She added that from proverbs and songs, to manual crafts and daily habits, Emirati women have remained the memory of the legacy and the beating heart of heritage, transmitting it spontaneously and responsibility, and instilling it in the conscience of generations.
Sheikha, Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan, valued the pioneering role of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, and her great efforts in supporting the march of women and empowering them in various fields, stressing that the public benefit societies continued this approach in promoting community social participation.
The Ministry of Community Development is one of the most prominent government agencies in supporting Emirati women to preserve the cultural heritage, as it worked to empower women as a major component in the community development system, through heritage initiatives aimed at transferring literal skills and traditional knowledge between generations.
The Ministry is organizing training courses and workshops in handicrafts, traditional cooking arts, and heritage costumes, in addition to the Arabic coffee industry, through which the role of women in preserving the elements of local culture is highlighted.
The ministry provides financial and technical support for women products within the “workmanship” project, which enhances the sustainability of the letter as an income source and a means to safeguard identity.
In turn, the Ministry of Culture and Youth plays a pivotal role in supporting women as one of the protectors of cultural heritage and folk heritage, and one of the most prominent living tributaries, as the ministry adopts a comprehensive vision to enable women culturally, through national initiatives that enhance their participation in the preservation and transfer of intangible heritage, and the empowerment of women as a creator and narrator of folklore.
The Ministry encourages Emirati women to be creative in folklore such as: Nabati poetry and folk stories, and provides platforms that allow women to display their heritage talents through cultural festivals and specialized exhibitions.
The Ministry provided digital support tools through platforms such as: the creative industries portal and the electronic cultural market, to allow women to display heritage products and sell them locally and internationally.
Through programs such as “Heritage in Schools and” National Identity “, the Ministry was keen to involve women in providing workshops and heritage activities for young people, and supporting their presence in local and international exhibitions and festivals as exhibitors, craftsmen, or narrators of popular stories.
The Ministry seeks to document the experiences of pioneering women in the field of heritage, and highlight their media and culturally roles, as well as support women’s creativity in the fields of publishing, cultural production, and documentation.
For its part, the General Women’s Union represents the main national mechanism for empowering women and their leadership in the UAE, and is considered one of the most prominent public benefit societies in supporting traditional crafts and preserving the popular heritage, through the “Handicraft and Environmental Industries Center.”
The General Women’s Federation, in cooperation with the ministries and concerned authorities, played a pivotal role in supporting heritage protectors, through training, promotion, and financial support programs, as well as the participation of women in national festivals, such as: Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival, Umm Al Emirates Festival, Expo 2020 Dubai, Qasr Al Hosn Festival, and many other festivals.
The efforts of the Women’s Federation, women’s associations and government agencies are integrated in cooperation with UNESCO for the nomination of women as representatives of the Emirati cultural heritage at the Arab and international levels, and in this context the participation of Emirati women in the Janadriyah Festival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Konya Festival for Traditional Industries in Turkey, the Tantan Cultural Season in the Kingdom of Morocco, and Expo 2025 Osaka -Kansai in Japan, and the International Festival For folklore in Italy, the World Heritage Festival in France.
In this regard, Mona bin Shaiban Al -Muhairi, Director of Al -Qattara Heritage Market, confirmed that throughout history, Emirati women have formed an essential axis in preserving cultural identity, through their multiple roles in society.
She explained that the support of women in the field of heritage is no longer an option, but rather a national necessity, which requires providing the spaces and platforms that enable them to express this rich stock in contemporary methods.
Al -Muhairi added that through training, qualification and participation in events, we open new horizons for women to continue their role in preserving the inheritance, and presenting it to generations in a language that the minds understand and love.
For her part, women activist Fatima Ahmed Obaid Al -Mughni said that Emirati women were not satisfied with preserving heritage, but rather became active in formulating his future, driven by the guidance of the wise leadership that provided her with real empowerment tools.
She added that heritage guards in the UAE do not represent merely preserves of the traditions of the past, but rather play a pivotal role in preserving the national identity, inspiring the present, and making a future that is rooted in originality, and thanks to the effort and sincerity they offer, the heritage remains alive in the conscience of society and its spaces, and it is narrated to generations in the language of belonging and national pride.
For her part, Dr. Amal Hamid Balhll, the psychologist and researcher in anthropology, said that the UAE attaches exceptional importance to the popular heritage, as it is one of the fundamental components of the national identity, and a mirror that reflects the cultural and social formation of Emirati society.
She explained that the UAE realized early that empowering women in the field of heritage preservation not only falls within the contexts of qualitative fairness, but rather represents a strategic pillar to ensure the sustainability of cultural identity, which was translated into specialized government initiatives that made women an authentic tanker for popular knowledge, and a real ambassador of society values and traditions.
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