Emirati women are teaching the right balance between tradition and modernity. In fact, the future is an extension of history, and this is the most important lesson that we can learn while being in the UAE. I still remember watching television series Freej and looking at the four old Emirati women – Um Saeed, Um Saloom, Um Allawi and Um Khammas – trying to catch up with modernity, while retaining and protecting the traditional Emirati values of family, friendship, generosity and hospitality. On the background of the cartoon, one can catch a glimpse of modern Dubai that is growing and becoming a leading city in the world, but the four old ladies decide to keep on living in a secluded neighborhood, wearing traditional garments and cooking “Harees”, among the most popular traditional Emirati foods, to be shared with people during Ramadan. They do not reject modernity (to the contrary, they use mobile phones and Um Allawi has her own laptop and closely follows the stock market) but they understand the need to keep the link with tradition, as only by knowing where we come from, we can understand the present, prepare confidently for the future and hence build a thriving society.
Emirati women know that, in order to shape tomorrow, it is necessary to cultivate traditions that build up a flourishing society and a sustainable community. In fact, sustainability is the pre-condition for a development that meets the needs of the present generation without hampering the possibility, for future generations, to realize their own. This is only possible if we introduce in our life innovations that are not oblivious to tradition. After all, cultural heritage is the main enabler of economic, social, and environmental elements of sustainable development. Furthermore, since its foundation as a country, the UAE has pushed for the empowerment of women, making the woman the main driver for sustainable development in all sectors of society, since the generation and preservation of life are an undeniable woman’s mission.
Hence, the Emirati woman is at same time a tradition-keeper and an agent of change towards an equitable and sustainable society. She is the one that writes tomorrow on the sheets of yesterday, while translating the past so that it can be read by future generations.
Anna Mahjar-Barducci is a researcher and author
