Social media users mock UAE after all-male group wins gender equality awards

At an awards ceremony on Sunday, the UAE named the winners of the awards designed to display Abu Dhabi’s “commitment” to female empowerment and foster gender equality in government departments.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai gave out the medals and certificates, the recipients of which were all male.

The awardees included the UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of interior, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was recognized for “best personality supporting gender balance.”

Other winners included Dubai’s deputy ruler and Finance Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Nasser bin Thani al-Hamli and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Director General Abdulla Nasser Lootah.

The ceremony’s photos, shared on Twitter on January 27 by the Dubai Media Office, immediately went viral, drawing widespread criticism and mockery from Twitter users.

“I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but you forgot to invite WOMEN” a Twitters user said.

A tweet celebrating the awards was also met with mockery, with comments such as “Wow really nailed the diversity there. One of those dudes was wearing gray.”

According to a news release put out by the Dubai media office, Al Maktoum praised “the success of Emirati women,” saying their role was “central to shaping the future of the country.”

“Gender balance has become a pillar in our governmental institutions,” he said.

“Is the sarcasm translating correctly?” one Twitter user asked, while another said the situation was “beyond parody” and others asked whether the account had been hacked by satirical news site The Onion.

“How to make yourselves a laughing stock in the eyes of the world...... well done Dubai,” another Twitter user wrote.

This comes as just months after a damming 2018 Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report painted a grim picture of the human rights situation in the UAE, raising concern over the torture of prisoners, injustice against foreign workers and discrimination of women in the Persian Gulf state.

In its 2018 report, the UN body voiced concern that it was still possible for a man to prohibit his wife from working and to limit her freedom of movement.