MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EMIRATIAN COMMUNITY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE IN CULTURE WITH THE RICH HISTORY AND TRADITIONS AND LEARN WHAT THE MODERN SOCIETY LIVES. TODAY WE ARE A GUEST AT HAWLET LUTY, BUSINESS LADY AND MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE DUBAI WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNCIL. WE MET IN HER LAPIS FASHION HOUSE TO TALK ABOUT TRADITIONAL FASHION, WOMEN'S ROLE IN FAMILY AND HISTORY OF EMIRATES, THEIR BUSINESS ACTIVITY AND LIFE PRIORITIES.
Havel, good afternoon. Thanks for the invitation. We are all interested in learning more about the traditional way of life of the Emirate family firsthand.
Havl: Our historical tradition is a strong woman who dominates the family. I come from a family of pearl hunters who lived on the coast of the current Emirates. When the men went into the sea for six months, the women stayed at home - they themselves raised children and ran the household. Often husbands could return without a catch or seriously ill - then the food of the whole family fell on women's shoulders. For example, they sold poultry or vegetables in the bazaar. Even then, women developed entrepreneurial talent. In fact, the village lived as one big family. Cousins married to support each other. Everyone in my family was married to cousins, but, thank God, this did not cause genetic abnormalities.
You can often hear the opinion that a woman in the Arab world is the shadow of her husband ...
Havl: This is not true, and has nothing to do with our history. Take the history of Islam. The first female entrepreneur in Islam was Khadija, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. She hired him to accompany the caravans. Another wife of the prophet, Aisha, often spent time in the bazaar, where she listened to poems and discussed pressing issues, along with men. And no one could forbid women to engage in any activity. Look at our country today: we have women ministers, politicians, doctors, researchers and even military pilots. Arab women have always been distinguished by inner strength.
However, it should be noted that women in the Emirates have become more closed today than 30 to 40 years ago.
Havl: Black Abaya is a fairly new phenomenon for the Gulf countries. She appeared with us around the 1940-50s. And it was borrowed. As well as masks-burgs imported from Iran: in them you can often find representatives of the older generation. In general, in Islam there are no requirements for the color of women's clothing. And moreover, nowhere is it prescribed to cover your face! A woman should be dressed modestly so as not to seduce a man with her appearance. It's all! Our traditional casual outfit is clothing with loose sleeves, made of cotton in summer, and wool in winter. Clothing well suited for housework. For the holiday they put on wraps with embroidery with gold threads. By the way, Abaya was originally an open silk cloak. But, since working in such clothes was inconvenient, later closed abaya dresses also appeared. In the Arab world, a woman has always been looked upon as a mother and never as an object of desire. Unfortunately, recently, thanks to Western propaganda, the situation has changed not for the better.
Is the traditional emirate society changing today, in particular, under the influence of Western media?
Havl: Traditionally, we lived in large families, several generations in the same house. Now this is leaving, young couples can afford to live separately, but the feeling of unity remains. In any case, in my family I support traditional rituals. So, every Friday several generations of my family and my husband's family gather for a traditional family dinner - men and women, all together, discuss what happened during the week. I am sure that a close relationship with the family helps children grow up healthy and know their story.
What values did you instill in your children?
Havl: I have three children and they grew up with a working mom. Grandmother and grandfather took care of them, who explained to them that in life you need to be prepared for many trials, learn to overcome them in order to succeed. We were not always a rich oil nation and we remember well our history of how we had to survive - in the sea or in the desert. Despite the fact that I am married to a representative of the royal family of Sharjah, my children never thought that they were born with a golden spoon in their mouth. Some foreigners think that we are rich and therefore lazy, but this is just another stereotype imposed by the media.
RO 'YA
- Dubai Women Entrepreneurship Councilcreated under the auspices of the Emirate's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with the international payment system Mastercard implements the Ro'Ya initiative (translated from Arabic as “vision, view”) aimed at promoting and developing entrepreneurship among women in the UAE, regardless of their nationality and citizenship.
- Business womanwho presented the best projects receive cash prizes in the amount of US $ 5,000 before US $ 50,000 on business development, as well as the opportunity to take professional retraining courses.
WOMEN IN THE UAE GOVERNMENT:
- Sheikh Lubna Al Kassimi, Minister for International Cooperation and Development
- Mariam Al Rumi, UAE Minister of Social Relations
- Rome Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State, Managing Director of the Expo 2020 Organizing Committee
As far as I know, young emirates are increasingly less likely to get married early and have children. According to statistics, almost half of 30-year-old residents of the UAE have never been married.
Havl: Unfortunately, this is so, and their number is growing. I see several reasons. First of all, this is a Western entity, which imposes the position "I am a strong woman, and I can achieve everything myself." This position is not close to me: I believe that children and the husband do not interfere in any way in life. Secondly, there is no more pressure from the family; less and less often in families, parents arrange the marriage of their children. And finally, the number of marriages between emirates and foreigners is growing.
When do women in the Emirates usually begin to show their entrepreneurial activity?
Havl: From an early age. We have government programs that encourage entrepreneurship, even among school-age children. One of them is Young Merchants, in which children learn the basics of trade. Women entrepreneurs, as a rule, start with homework: this can be a home bakery or handmade jewelry. The Dubai Economic Development Committee offers a license for such a businesswoman, which costs only 1000 dirhams a year (US $ 273). One condition: they must work at home independently and not attract expatriates.
When working with foreign partners, what makes you trust or not trust?
Havl: I trust everyone. Over the years, I headed the office of an international corporation in the Middle East and North Africa, worked with foreigners, I have contracts with African companies. I never stop believing people, even if sometimes I have to regret it afterwards.
What kind of behavior do you expect from foreigners towards the local community?
Havl: I advise everyone to look behind the facade - this helps to avoid misperception and get rid of stereotypes. We need to develop a cultural and intellectual exchange, and we have all the necessary institutions for this. I believe that our meeting today is only the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation.
