Twitter mocks UAE's gender equality awards with all-male winners

Sometimes a story comes along that’s scandalous, funny and bleak all at the same time. In 2019 it often seems that if you don’t cry at the news, you’ll at least be able to laugh.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are being mocked after it emerged that all of the winners of a "gender equality in the workplace" initiative were men.

The honours were awarded Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates and leader of Dubai. Categories included “best government entity supporting gender balance” and “best gender balance”.

Naturally, when Twitter found out about these awards, people were quick to mock the optics of the event. Many people couldn’t believe such an event was allowed to go ahead.

Though despite the ridiculousness of these photos, a 2018 United Nations Development Programme study found that the UAE had made significant progress in bringing women into the workforce. It found that 43 per cent of women hold degrees, compared to just 23 per cent of men. Since 1975, the amount of Emirati women in the workplace has risen from 1,000 to 135,000.

However, according to rights groups, gender discrimination is still a huge problem in the region, particularly in the legal system.

H/T: The Guardian

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