UAE Women: The Forgotten Pioneers of Nation Building

UAE women played a significant economic role in the pre-oil era that challenges many modern assumptions about their historical participation in society. Their contributions substantially impacted local economies alongside their domestic responsibilities between 1900 and 1930.

The dramatic transformation in Emirati women’s workforce participation remains largely unrecognized. Female labor participation in Gulf Cooperation Council states grew from just 1% in 1975 to 17% in 2009. Emirati women’s participation specifically jumped from 3.4% in 1975 to 66% of the government workforce today. This remarkable trip shows how deeply women’s rights in UAE have evolved over decades.

The contemporary narrative misses the foundational contributions that came before modern achievements. Women make up 49.3% of the national population and stand at the vanguard of the UAE workforce. Two-thirds of university graduates are female, and the UAE has climbed to 7th place globally in the UN Gender Equality Index 2024. This piece explores the forgotten economic legacy of pre-union Emirati women. Reclaiming this history enriches our understanding of their trip to the present day.

The Forgotten Reality of Pre-Union Emirati Women

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“A woman constitutes half the society and keeps the house. A country aspiring to build itself should not keep a woman in the darkness of illiteracy and a prisoner to the shackles of oppression.” — Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father and First President of the United Arab Emirates

The UAE’s past often shows women’s roles limited to household duties. This view comes from misunderstanding what “traditional” meant for Emirati women before the union formed.

Why the term ‘traditional’ is often misunderstood

People often create a false divide between past and present when discussing “traditional” Emirati women’s roles. Modern women get recognition as professionals and homemakers. Historical accounts paint pre-oil women as homemakers only. This view ignores their economic impact.

Pre-oil women played vital economic roles, yet modern stories show them stuck at home. This contradiction exists because people look at 1970s women and assume it was always that way. Female workers made up just 1% of the workforce then, since families could live on one income after the oil boom. This post-oil reality got wrongly applied to pre-oil women, erasing their economic impact.

Books and education made this problem worse. University textbooks don’t mention women’s economic roles before oil. They focus on male-dominated structures instead. This creates a false idea that women started working only after modernization. These formal teachings shape how people view gender roles. They create myths that “traditional” women stayed home.

How modern views obscure historical facts

History tells a different story. Women led the economy when pearl diving seasons started from June through November. They ran households, took care of family, worked farms, collected dates, handled supplies, and managed pearl trading payments.

Women also practiced Sadu, a traditional embroidery style that had both practical and business value. These textiles helped build homes as tent materials and brought important income to families. Women weren’t just caretakers – they were “managers, producers, and economic actors in their own right”.

Women wielded political power too. Dr. Salma Thani explains that before the Union, women shaped politics informally but significantly. They influenced decisions, alliances, and solved conflicts in ruling families and homes. Some women helped settle tribal disputes and defended their emirates during fights.

Real examples prove this history. Sheikha Hessa bint Al-Murr, Dubai ruler’s wife in the early 1900s, “would rally armed forces to defend Dubai’s fort during an attack, hosted her own public majlis, and was a trader and businesswoman in her own right”. Sheikha Salama bint Butti Al Qubaisi, Sheik Zayed’s mother, kept Abu Dhabi stable. She promoted unity among her sons and helped Sheik Zayed financially before oil’s discovery.

The idea that Emirati women faced oppression goes against facts. Maitha Al Memari points out that the UAE ranks first worldwide in treating women with respect. This challenges wrong ideas about Muslim women that come from Islamophobia. Modern stories don’t match historical facts about women’s status in Emirati society.

This forgotten history helps put UAE women’s remarkable progress in context. Their success today builds on centuries of economic and political involvement that started before the union existed.

Economic Contributions Before the Oil Boom

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The history books often overlook how Emirati women worked in trade, agriculture, and crafts before the union. These women showed remarkable financial independence and entrepreneurial drive from 1900 to the early 1930s. Their economic freedom changed only when outside market forces stepped in.

Women in trade and commerce

Emirati women from all social backgrounds took active roles in business during the pre-oil years. Small shop owners came from lower-middle class families, while upper-middle class women became merchants. Some even owned pearling and shipping boats. These businesswomen sold their goods in markets or went door-to-door. Reports vary about whether they dealt with men directly or worked through male family members.

The fish market shows these women’s business skills clearly. Historical documents tell us about their sharp trading abilities as fish sellers. The Dubai legislative council once tried to ban women from the fish market. The fishermen protested because their wives got better prices than they could.

Women from middle and lower social classes ran various businesses before oil discovery. They traded goods, worked as tailors, and managed retail shops, pearling ships, and real estate. The 1929 Great Depression hit the pearl industry hard. The drop in global demand hurt these women’s financial stability.

Agricultural and livestock roles

Women played key roles in farming communities that kept local economies running. They did more than manage households – they farmed land, brought in harvests, and sold dairy products. While men spent June through November at sea during pearling season, women took charge of keeping the economy stable.

These women excelled at livestock management. They put in long hours, often working more than men, using their skills and knowledge. Most of their work happened indoors – feeding animals, giving water, cleaning shelters, milking, and making dairy products.

Livestock helped fight poverty and improved nutrition in communities. For women, animals served as a “living bank” that let them handle household costs on their own. They worked more with livestock than crops because animals were easier to manage and gave quick returns through milk products they could use or sell.

Crafts, textiles, and home-based industries

Traditional crafts thrived in women’s home-based businesses. Al-Sadu, a Bedouin weaving technique, used wool from sheep, camels, and goats to create unique geometric patterns. These detailed weavings produced the bait al-shaar (tent) and decorative pieces. UNESCO recognized Al-Sadu’s value by adding it to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.

Talli matched Al-Sadu in importance. This decorative embroidery combined cotton or silk threads with gold and silver to decorate traditional women’s robes. People called it “zina wa khazinah” (beauty and savings) because women could melt and sell the metal threads when money got tight.

Some women became folk medicine experts. They used herbs and did procedures like cauterization and cupping. Both men and women sought their treatment across the Arabian Gulf. Hamama Al-Tiniji from Sharjah supported her family through her medical practice.

The 1930s brought big changes. The pearl market crashed, pushing many women away from independent business into household duties. This shift changed their economic roles forever.

Leadership Roles in a Patriarchal Society

“The endeavors undertaken by women in the Emirates are important and honorable endeavors that are worthy of esteem. The participation of women in the revival of society is important.” — Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father and First President of the United Arab Emirates

UAE women made substantial economic contributions and had a lot of political power, even in their male-dominated pre-union society. Their leadership showed up differently at various social levels but played a key role in community decisions and kept social bonds strong throughout the region.

Royal women as political influencers

Women in royal households held substantial political power through unofficial but effective channels. As Dr. Salma Thani explains, “Inside ruling families and households, women had real influence over decisions, alliances, and even conflict resolution”. These women shaped governance by a lot through strategic advice and quiet diplomacy, even without formal titles.

Sheikha Hessa bint Al-Murr stands out as a powerful example. She exceeded traditional roles as the wife of Sheik Saeed Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler in the early 1900s. During attacks, she “would rally armed forces to defend Dubai’s fort,” ran her own public majlis (political gathering space), and worked as “a trader and businesswoman in her own right”. Her involvement in defense and running a majlis—typically male areas—shows how royal women took part in political matters directly.

Sheikha Salama bint Butti Al Qubaisi, Sheik Zayed’s mother, left an incredible legacy. British records from 1953 and 1966 call her the “most influential woman on the Trucial Coast”. She kept Abu Dhabi stable by promoting unity among her sons. She gave vital financial support to Sheik Zayed before oil was found when Al Ain’s economy struggled. This financial backing shows women’s influence reached into money matters and economic policies.

On top of that, Sheikha Salama bint Zayed, daughter of Sheik Zayed the First (Abu Dhabi’s ruler from 1855-1909), earned such respect for her wisdom that “her father and subsequent rulers sought her counsel before making major decisions”. This advisory role shows how women’s political influence lasted through generations.

Ordinary women in community leadership

Women from different backgrounds led their communities in various ways outside royal circles. Bedouin women “managed homes, made big decisions, and kept tribal traditions alive”. Their work became vital to maintain social order during nomadic times, which showed leadership beyond household duties.

The marketplace became another space for women to lead. Dubai’s legislative council once tried to stop women from selling fish. The fishermen protested this rule “as their wives managed to sell the fish for higher prices than they did”. This whole ordeal reveals women’s business skills and their community influence that could change proposed laws.

Folk medicine practitioners earned respected leadership positions. They treated both men and women with herbal remedies and procedures like cauterization and cupping, earning recognition across Gulf states. Hamama Al-Tiniji from Sharjah became a notable practitioner who supported her family through medical expertise. Her financial independence gave her social authority and community respect.

Pearl diving seasons (June through November) saw women take complete leadership roles. They ran households, watched over farming, and handled money matters for sea ventures at the same time. This seasonal authority proved they could handle complex leadership and community management.

The saying that “behind every great man, there is a great woman” has “always been true in the Emirates”. UAE women’s power and influence became vital in political, social, and economic areas, even without formal positions before the union. This historical fact challenges modern stories that paint UAE women’s leadership as new rather than building on long-standing traditions.

Women in Medicine and Public Health

Women in Emirati society played a powerful role in healing arts. They became trusted experts in community health and built sophisticated knowledge systems before formal medical institutions came to the region.

Folk medicine and midwifery

Herbal medicine runs deep in Emirati culture. Families and communities relied on it as their main healthcare resource. Women in labor turned to local birth attendants called “daya” who helped them based on knowledge passed down through generations. Death rates for mothers and babies were high under this system. This explains why people quickly accepted hospital-based maternity care when it became available.

The World Health Organization tells us that 80% of people worldwide used traditional medicine. This shows how these practices were the backbone of early healthcare systems. Women healers knew a lot about herbal remedies and healing techniques. They treated both men and women using methods like cauterization and cupping.

Healthcare changed when the UAE formed in 1971. The law said women must give birth in hospitals. Traditional birth attendants saw their role change as more women chose hospital deliveries after seeing better survival rates. The old ways of healing stayed alive even as modern medicine took over.

Modern midwifery in the UAE has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Today’s definition calls it “skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate care for childbearing women, newborn infants and families across the continuum from pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and the early weeks of life”. Midwives now need proper education and certification. The UAE lists midwifery as a separate registration category, and practitioners must show they keep their skills current.

Hamama Al-Tiniji and other notable figures

Hamama Al-Tiniji from Sharjah stands out among pre-union medical practitioners. People throughout the Arabian Gulf respected her folk medicine expertise. She treated both men and women successfully. Her medical practice supported her entire family financially, showing both the economic worth and social value of women’s medical knowledge.

Female healers often pass their influence through generations. Dr. Fayeza Alrais manages complicated obstetrical cases and has handled over 20,000 of them. She credits her grandmother, a traditional healer, for inspiring her medical journey. Young Alrais helped make natural remedies under her grandmother’s guidance in Dubai. She saw how “transformative power of traditional medicine on ailing neighbors” worked firsthand.

Dr. Maryam Matar tells a similar story. She founded the UAE Genetic Diseases Association and the UAE’s Down Syndrome Association. Her grandmother worked as an herbalist and inspired her medical career. The community’s deep respect at her grandmother’s funeral showed how much female healers meant to Emirati society. This pushed young Maryam toward medicine.

These early female healers paved the way for today’s achievements. The UAE sees midwives as “a fundamental pillar in maternal healthcare”. His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Salim Al Olama leads the Ministry of Health and Prevention. He stresses the need to boost midwives’ professional standing through ongoing training and skill development. This helps reduce mother mortality rates.

Women’s role in healthcare builds on their history as community healers rather than replacing it. The UAE’s National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery runs through 2026. It aims to improve professional practices while promoting health. This continues the legacy of female medical authority that existed before formal healthcare systems.

The Decline of Female Economic Roles Post-1930s

The economic fortunes of Emirati women took a dramatic turn in the late 1920s. These women had played active roles in many sectors for decades. Their economic independence went through a rapid decline that would reshape gender roles for generations.

Impact of pearl market collapse

The 1929 Great Depression struck a devastating blow to the UAE’s pearl industry, destroying the region’s economic backbone. Women bore the worst effects of this collapse. They faced reduced pearl market demand and took on more household duties as families could no longer pay for help. This created a challenging new reality for them.

The pearl industry served as the region’s economic heart before this catastrophe. Nearly 80 percent of the UAE workforce took part in pearling activities by the early 1900s. Pearl exports showed remarkable growth from 50,000 English Pounds in 1744 to 2,000,000 English Pounds by 1912/1913.

Several factors created this perfect storm:

• Global financial crisis cut luxury goods demand
• Japanese cultured pearls created cheaper options in the market
• Political instability disrupted trade networks
• World War I’s effects continued to hurt luxury markets

Women who ran businesses, handled trade, or supported the pearl industry faced financial ruin. The pearl industry’s hierarchy meant merchants at the top received most profits. This left divers and their families, especially women, at risk when the economy faltered.

Health and economic challenges

The financial hardships brought worse health conditions. More mothers died during childbirth as economic pressure reduced access to care and proper nutrition. This health crisis only started improving when formal health institutions emerged in the 1950s.

Oil discoveries in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia during the early 1930s led many men to leave in search of work. Women shouldered more household duties while losing their support networks. Men’s pursuit of better opportunities led to women’s economic decline.

Women’s workforce participation dropped sharply to less than 20 percent by 2022. This marked a complete reversal from earlier times. Women who once managed businesses and traded goods now mainly handled household tasks. Their economic independence faded away.

This change shows how economic growth can reshape gender roles unexpectedly. The UAE’s oil wealth stymied women’s economic progress. The oil industry’s tough working conditions kept women out. Higher earnings of male family members also reduced the need for women to work.

Society’s view of working women changed during this time. People worried about how female employment might affect family life. This differed greatly from earlier generations when women’s economic contributions helped families survive.

The post-1930s story of UAE women shows how economies shape gender roles. What seems “traditional” often comes from recent economic changes rather than ancient customs. This difference helps us understand Emirati women’s true heritage.

How Modern Narratives Rewrote History

Modern narratives have twisted the true historical contributions of UAE women. Complex realities have given way to simple stereotypes. Cultural messaging subtly erased women’s economic legacy from our collective memory.

The rise of the domestic-only stereotype

Contemporary society still holds deep stereotypes about Emirati women. People wrongly believe UAE women have fewer rights and limited access to education and jobs compared to men. This view paints successful women as outliers rather than the historical norm.

These misconceptions create another error: the idea that UAE women’s rise to power is new. Historical records tell a different story – women have shaped the nation since its founding.

People make assumptions about career choices too. They think Emirati women only care about fashion or media. Some believe women can’t express themselves and stay “bound by old ways”. Traditional dress gets misinterpreted as a restriction instead of cultural pride.

Stereotypes paint Emirati women as “lazy, spoilt, pampered, entitled, excessively rich princesses.” Critics claim they “don’t work” but use “an army of maids and nannies” to spend time “shopping, mall crawling and eating leisurely meals”. Working Emirati women face doubts from coworkers who think they’re “not really interested” or just filling “the Emirati quota”.

Influence of school textbooks and media

Educational materials have shaped these distorted views. College textbooks ignore women’s pre-oil economic roles while highlighting patriarchal structures. This creates a false narrative that women joined the workforce only after modernization. These formal social reproductions shape gender role beliefs powerfully.

Research shows textbooks worldwide contain gender bias. They often show women doing housework while men have professional careers. The message stays consistent: societies assign adult roles based on sex and reinforce this through childhood learning.

Western media deserves much blame for these flawed portrayals. American university students visiting UAE were shocked to learn Emirati women could drive and own cars. This reveals deep misunderstandings about basic rights. Gender representation in media strengthens these stereotypes. Television ads usually show women in domestic and passive roles.

Studies prove textbooks do more than share knowledge. They instill values through gender stereotyping, number imbalances, and male-first approaches. This systematic misrepresentation creates a gap between historical truth and today’s understanding of UAE women’s legacy.

Awareness Among Today’s Emirati Youth

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Young Emiratis show a worrying lack of knowledge about their female ancestors’ economic contributions. They view their grandmothers’ generation mainly as homemakers rather than active economic participants in the pre-oil era.

Findings from university surveys

UAE university surveys paint a clear picture of this historical disconnect. Students at a major UAE university demonstrated poor awareness – only 12% could correctly identify women’s economic roles before the oil boom. The revelation of women’s past business ownership and trade activities left 73% of students surprised.

Textbooks tell an incomplete story. A study of six common history books revealed women’s pre-oil economic roles got just 2.3 pages compared to 46.7 pages about men’s economic activities.

This gap in education creates what experts call a “historical amnesia” effect. Young people unknowingly project today’s gender roles onto past generations. A university researcher noted that students often feel shocked when they see evidence that challenges their grandmother’s generation assumptions.

Classroom observations and misconceptions

Teachers frequently encounter deep-rooted myths about traditional Emirati women. Students hold several persistent beliefs:

• “Traditional” life meant women stayed at home
• Women started participating in the economy only after modernization
• Female business ownership breaks cultural norms instead of continuing them

These beliefs prove hard to change. Students need substantial proof before they question their assumptions. One professor remarked, “Students aren’t just unaware of this history – they strongly believe in a version that never existed.”

Female Emirati students show particular enthusiasm when they learn about their economic forebears. Several universities have created special modules that highlight women’s historical economic roles. Early feedback shows these lessons help challenge long-held beliefs.

The gap between historical fact and current understanding shows how modern stories have altered collective memory in just two generations.

Reclaiming the Legacy of Emirati Women

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UAE women’s reclamation of historical narratives means much more than academic study – it represents their vital connection to authentic heritage. Emirati women have played a crucial role in shaping their nation’s growth since long before the country’s formal establishment.

Why historical awareness matters today

Modern Emirati women’s identity formation deeply connects with their historical awareness. The National Archives’ Dr. Bilkhair puts it well: “any Emirati woman who takes pride in her present should adhere to her values, roots and local identity”. This view shows how today’s achievements build on the foundations laid by countless unnamed female pioneers.

Accurate historical representation helps break down lasting stereotypes. The UAE ranks seventh globally in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index 2024. This success builds on cultural values rather than contradicting them – a key insight for meaningful progress.

Integrating real stories into education

New educational initiatives tackle historical gaps with fresh approaches. Students at Zayed University created a book called “Cultural Reflections from the UAE”. They documented pre-union life through interviews with elderly family members. One student shared: “This assignment helped me acquire more about the history of my family and their life in the past and gave me a chance to preserve some of the stories my grandparents told, stories that I would not find in history books or museums”.

These authentic female narratives in educational frameworks serve dual purposes. They correct historical records and inspire future generations of Emirati women.

Emirati women have shaped their nation’s destiny across generations, yet their significant economic contributions don’t get the recognition they deserve. These women were not just homemakers – they actively engaged in trade, commerce, agriculture, medicine, and crafts. They managed households while their men were away during pearl diving seasons. Their economic independence reached its peak between 1900 and 1930, creating a powerful legacy that goes beyond simplified modern narratives.

The pearl market’s collapse changed everything, fundamentally shifting women’s economic roles and their position in society. Notwithstanding that setback, their remarkable achievements stand tall. Their progress from business managers and tribal conflict mediators to making up two-thirds of university graduates and 66% of the government workforce today shows steady rise rather than sudden change.

Modern stereotypes that paint Emirati women as newly enabled clash with historical facts. Educational materials and media portrayals have created these misconceptions, cutting off younger generations from their true heritage. Young Emiratis react with surprise when they learn about their grandmothers’ economic independence – a stark disconnect that spans just two generations.

This forgotten legacy plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary identity. The knowledge that today’s achievements build on historical foundations, rather than reject traditional values, offers both validation and inspiration. The UAE ranks seventh globally in gender equality, which shows the authentic continuation of cultural norms rather than their rejection.

Without doubt, accurate historical awareness gives future generations the ability to look up to role models whose economic resilience, leadership capabilities, and entrepreneurial spirit exceed time itself. UAE women’s story deserves telling not as a recent liberation narrative but as the ongoing experience of a people whose women have always been vital economic contributors and decision-makers. Their past achievements enrich our understanding of their present success and clarify the path forward for generations ahead.