UAEG COMMITTED - IN PART - TO ELIMINATE

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003037 SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL, NEA/PI, AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KWMN TC SUBJECT: UAEG COMMITTED - IN PART - TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN REF: ABU DHABI 2095 ¶1. THE UAEG HAS SIGNED THE UN CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW),BUT LIKE OTHER ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, THE UAE WILL NOT ENFORCE PROVISIONS OF THE CONVENTION THAT CONTRADICT SHARIA' LAW, OR UAE FAMILY LAW AND CUSTOMS. BY ACCEPTING THE CONVENTION, THE UAE COMMITS ITSELF TO UNDERTAKE A SERIES OF MEASURES TO END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN, AND TO ESTABLISH TRIBUNALS AND OTHER PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN. ¶2. WHILE THIS IS ANOTHER CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE UAEG INTENDS TO GRADUALLY ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT PREPARED TO REPLACE CERTAIN SHARIA' LAW PROVISIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DO NOT AGREE WITH PROVISIONS IN THE CONVENTION THAT WOULD GRANT WOMEN EQUAL RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONALITY OF THEIR CHILDREN. NOR WILL THEY CONFORM TO PROPOSALS DEALING WITH ACQUIRING, CHANGING OR RETAINING A WOMAN'S NATIONALITY. IN ADDITION, THE UAE WOULD NOT ACCEPT PROVISIONS RELATED TO HOW A WOMEN ENTERS INTO MARRIAGE, CHOOSES A SPOUSE, RAISES CHILDREN, ADOPTS CHILDREN, CHOOSES A FAMILY NAME AND A PROFESSION, AND OWNS OR ADMINISTERS PROPERTY. ¶3. LOCAL PRESS INTERVIEWED 10 PROMINENT UAE WOMEN IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. HESSA AL MIDFAA, AN APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE SHARJAH CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL, WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT JOINING THE CONVENTION WOULD EXPAND THE ROLE WOMEN PLAY IN THE SOCIETY AND COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR A WOMAN TO BE APPOINTED AS A GOVERNMENT MINISTER. "IT IS A MATTER OF TIME," SHE SAID. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THESE WOMEN BELIEVE THAT THE CONVENTION WOULD REMOVE SOME LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, THEY ALSO FELT THAT EXTENSIVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN STILL EXISTS. FOR INSTANCE, THEY BELIEVE THAT UAE STILL CUSTOMS RESTRICT WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS. SOME WOMEN SAID UAE WOMEN ALREADY ENJOY THE SAME RIGHTS AS MEN, AND THAT THE UAE CONSTITUTION GRANTS THEM THESE RIGHTS. SISON