Progress Amid Resistance

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 531against discrimination in other areas. Article 3 of the draft labor law would,for the first time, specifically prohibit any form of discrimination betweenpeople with equal qualifications and experience levels. It also protects therights of all persons to enjoy equal opportunities to find and remain intheir jobs and enjoy full employment rights and benefits. Under this sameprovision, rules promoting increased participation by UAE nationals in theworkforce do not constitute discrimination. Additionally, the draft laborlaw would amend current Article 32, which requires equal pay for equalwork among male and female employees, to also prohibit discriminationagainst women in regards to their job security. In particular, the amendedarticle would prohibit termination of employment on the basis of maritalstatus, pregnancy, delivery, or maternity.Article 3 of the draft labor law directly addresses “Emiratization,” anationalization program introduced by the government to promote em -ployment in the private sector in an effort to reduce the UAE’s dependenceon foreign labor. One aspect of the program is a quota system thatrequires companies in fields such as finance and insurance to increase thenumber of nationals they employ by 4 to 5 percent annually. 38 As a result,private-sector companies have started to aggressively recruit young Emiratiwomen to fill these quotas, and the Ministry of Labor no longer allowswork permits for foreigners working as secretaries, public relations officers,and human resource personnel, effectively limiting all new hires for thesepositions to nationals. 39 Often, the perception is that the women are hiredstrictly to satisfy the regulations, and many Emirati women have complainedof difficulty in advancing beyond entry-level positions. In effect,the program has resulted in a “ ‘sticky floor’ for young and ambitious UAEnational women.” 40In reality, cultural rather than legal barriers are what constrain womenfrom entering certain professions. In many instances, familial conflicts arecited as the cause of both resignations by and termination of employmentfor many women. Women, particularly nationals, are inclined to join thepublic sector rather than the private sector because it is deemed morerespectable by society, requires shorter working hours, and shows commitmentto the country. Generally, women still have few opportunitiesfor professional development and promotion, and local men often showmore respect in the workplace for foreign than for Emirati women, sincethe former are free from the traditional cultural stigma placed on working