Over the past decades, the UAE has witnessed a radical transformation in the concept of women’s empowerment, evolving into a comprehensive national approach led by inclusive policies and strategies, notably the National Policy for Women’s Empowerment 2023-2031, which made equal participation of women a pillar of sustainable development.

On Emirati Women’s Day, the role of the ‘Irthi’ Council for Contemporary Crafts stands out, dedicating its efforts to preserving traditional crafts and developing them with modern methods to ensure their sustainability and transform them into a creative and economic resource that connects new generations to their cultural roots and opens doors to global markets.

‘Irthi’ is a UAE model for safeguarding and developing traditional crafts within contemporary contexts that integrate identity with innovation. The council believes that craft is a key tool for empowerment, a mirror of identity, and a bridge for global communication. Through specialized vocational training programs in the UAE, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, the council enables female artisans to transform their manual skills into products bearing an Emirati signature and competing in global markets.

Thanks to partnerships with prestigious international platforms like the London Design Fair and Milan Design Week, the council has established sustainable markets for craft products and contributed to Sharjah being chosen as a UNESCO Creative City in the field of embroidery crafts. This approach combines cultural, economic, and social dimensions, preserving the essence of craft as cultural heritage and employing it to enhance women’s presence in development.

The ‘Nama’ Foundation for Women’s Advancement in Sharjah also emerges as a national platform opening horizons for women’s economic and social participation through training programs and supportive policies that enhance their role in the labor market and entrepreneurship.

Since its establishment in 2015, ‘Nama’ has adopted a comprehensive empowerment approach that goes beyond temporary support to building a sustainable environment, providing women with tools for influence and participation across economic, social, cultural, and political fields. It combines policies, legislation, and field programs, launching initiatives like ‘Irtiqa’ to promote equality and equal opportunities in workplaces, and the ‘Financial Culture’ program to develop women’s skills in managing their resources, among others.

The efforts and initiatives of ‘Nama’ and ‘Irthi’ confirm that giving Emirati women the opportunity to prove themselves and their competence is a solid reality supported by numbers and achievements on the ground. The transition to a systematic institutional empowerment approach has made women in the UAE equal partners in shaping the future, supported by wise government policies and pioneering institutions working diligently from families to international organizations. The result is a generation of Emirati women capable of shaping reality and driving change locally and globally within a sustainable development approach shared by all segments of society.

Sustainable Systems

‘Irthi’ and ‘Nama’ lay the foundations for a conceptual transformation in empowerment from a developmental demand to a strategic choice for shaping the future. Empowerment goes beyond providing opportunities to building sustainable systems that redefine the relationship between women and society, identity and economy, heritage and modernity.

• ‘Irthi’ enables female artisans to transform their manual skills into products bearing an Emirati signature and competing in global markets.