The space centre also revealed that women comprised 70% of the team behind the UAE Astronaut Programme, which gave the UAE its first Emirati astronaut.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has revealed that 34% of the team that worked on the Emirates Mars Missions Hope probe were women, on the occasion of the Emirati Womens Day which is celebrated on August 28.
Moreover, MBRSC also stated that 80% of the scientific team for the mission were women. Further, women comprised 70% of the team behind the UAE Astronaut Programme, which gave the UAE its first Emirati astronaut. Women also make up 42% of the workforce at MBRSC.
In a statement on Emirati Womens Day, HE Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General, MBRSC said: All these are indicators that make us proud of the influential role that women play in our society. It also reflects the empowerment of women and their active participation in the development process of the Emirati community. Emirati women will continue to be an integral part of MBRSC. Our priority is to empower women and make them a key pillar in the development of the space sector.
Al Shaibani went on to say: “The wise leadership of our nation has empowered Emirati women through a long-term vision, based on the belief that women play a pivotal role in the process of building, developing, and strengthening the position of the UAE as a global leader. The success of Emirati women is a translation of this vision.
“Emirati women do not know the impossible and their experiences and expertise shine brightly across all sectors and fields. Furthermore, they are guided by the wise leadership of the Mother of the Nation, HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who has added human dimensions to women’s work through her important initiatives to empower women in the Emirates.”
On the women workforce at MBRSC, Al Shaibani said: “We believe that women at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre have played a significant role in strengthening the scientific community at the local and international level. We have established a space sector in which Emirati women have contributed to achieving the goals of MBRSC along with the vision of the UAEs space sector. They have proven their aptitude and competence in the field of scientific research and various functions of the Centre.
“Emirati women have stood by us since the beginning of our journey from launching the first 100% Emirati satellite to sending the first Emirati astronaut into space and launching the first Arab interplanetary probe. Together, we will continue on our journey of exploration, to keep our country among the leading nations of the world and our women will remain a role model for everyone who is seeking to achieve the impossible.”
