From participation to leadership: The next chapter for Emirati women in Stem

Every year, the same article reappears, detailing the progress of Emirati women in science and engineering. While this observation is accurate, it fails to capture the real story. The UAE has long addressed the issue of participation, with women making up 56% of Stem graduates from the country's universities and about seven out of ten university graduates overall. However, the focus should now be on leadership roles.

Women hold about two thirds of public sector positions in the UAE, but only roughly 30% of technical and academic leadership roles. This creates a gap, which represents a failure of conversion. Conversion refers to the moment in a scientific career when someone is given a decision that cannot be easily reversed. It is the point where technical authority is granted, and the person becomes a leader rather than a junior member of the institution.

The decision-making process in advanced technology areas, such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and autonomous systems, is crucial. These decisions determine the kind of society we want to live in. The UAE's leaders recognize the importance of early authority in fields like post-quantum cryptography and quantum computing.

One example is the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, where scientists are given early decision-making authority. They have developed advanced AI models, created post-quantum cryptography, and launched a sounding rocket using locally designed and tested technology. These achievements demonstrate that placing challenging problems in the hands of young women can lead to remarkable results.

The UAE's Year of Family highlights the importance of balancing work and family responsibilities. Families are where ambition is recognized, and institutions must support this ambition. Rather than focusing on the number of women employed, we should ask how many research directions are chosen by women. This shift in perspective emphasizes the role of institutions in fostering leadership and creating opportunities for women in Stem fields.