Dubai’s working mothers seek support from government

The Community Development Authority plans to make recommendations to the Dubai Executive Council on how to empower parents to spend more time with their children.

Dr Huda Al Suwaidi, left, the director of family development department at Community Development Authority, and Khaled Al Kamda, the director general of the authority, during the launch of embrace programme for abandoned children in April. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
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DUBAI // Parents who spend little time with their children because of long working hours may soon be able to get help from a new law likely to be recommended by the emirate’s government.

As part of a month-long campaign, the Community Development Authority is asking parents what measures could be taken to boost interaction with their children.

When the results are finalised the authority will issue a set of recommendations to the Dubai Executive Council.

“Many parents, especially women, admit that they are spending little quality time with their children but say that their jobs are making it difficult,” said the authority’s Huda Al Suwaidi during a seminar held yesterday for employees of Rashid Hospital.

She said laws such as longer statutory maternity leave were likely to be among the recommendations to the council. "We also need to work on bridging the gap in technology information skills between the two generations," she said.

The campaign, which hopes to get feedback from about 500 people in 10 government bodies, was launched after a survey on 403 Emirati students from public and private schools in grades 7 to 12 suggested a lack of parental supervision.

More than 60 per cent of the students said they would like to spend more time with their parents, while about 40 per cent said they spent five or more hours accessing the internet unsupervised by a parent.

Parents attending the Rashid Hospital seminar called for more support for female employees – in particular fewer working hours and longer maternity leave.

“Unfortunately I do not have a lot of time to spend with my children after I come back from work. By the time I reach home it is only a couple of hours then they have to go to bed,” said Zulekha Abdul Allatif, a mother of two.

“Women need human resource rules, such as fewer working hours, which support them if they are to strike a balance between home and work duties.”

Mariam Al Meheri, a mother of one, said: “They should look into the possibility of having early retirement for female workers so they can spend more time with their children, but still have financial support.”

She said that mothers could no longer afford to stay at home without an income. “The problem is that men nowadays are becoming irresponsible. They want the women to do everything from taking care of the house to providing for it financially.”

Even those men who have multiple wives expect their spouses to contribute financially. “I am a second wife but I am responsible for both me and my daughter financially. Even my husband’s first wife is increasingly paying for her household, so I have no option but to work.”

Mrs Al Meheri suggested the government introduce laws forcing husbands to provide for their family. “I understand that it is important to share a responsibility but what is happening now is that men are getting out of all their obligations.”

The difficulties in striking a balance between work and family life made many women decide against committing to both.

“When I decide to get married I will definitely resign from my job as it is impossible to do both,” said Mariam Al Siri. “I see how my sister and other colleagues are suffering and I do not want to be like that.”

wissa@thenational.ae