Breaking the UAE gender barrier

Whether working in a mechanics workshop or taking to the desert to shoot scenes for broadcast, Emirati women are continuing to challenge stereotypes of their jobs and gender in the UAE.

Dubai: In the middle of all the grime, grease and the unmistakable odour of motor oil stands a peculiar figure in an abaya. Once thought of as a man's domain, the garage is where Mariam Darwish is most comfortable. Mariam is one of the leading service advisers at Al Futtaim Motors' Lexus service centre, where on a normal day she works on about 40 cars.

"I love this job," says the Emirati single mother of four. "Its different, I like working with my hands."
Being a divorcee, Mariam's financial situation forced her to find a job, "I didn't want to stay at home and collect [welfare] cheques from the ministry; maybe I was too proud for that." "The only positions I could find were for receptionists," she says.

"I tried it but it was very boring ...it wasn't something that needed any skill, not something you can improve yourself at," she says holding a pneumatic wrench in her hand as comfortably as she would a designer handbag. "Then I found this offer from Al Futtaim. I thought why not, I'm always watching motoring programmes on TV with my sons and it looked exciting," says Mariam.

"There were three other Emirati women from my branch who applied for it as well. We didn't know anything about how to fix cars, but we were willing to learn and Al Futtaim were very supportive. They sent us on a six-month training course on the basics of servicing a car."

"After that we began working in the service centre. But it was summer and really hot, and the work was very hard. The other women soon quit, but I was enjoying it, I was learning something new every day," Mariam says.

"Now after four years of doing this job, I can say with self assurance, I have gained the experience, knowledge and most importantly the trust of my customers."

"The biggest problem I faced came from Emirati men who saw me working here. They found it very difficult to understand why a woman was working in these conditions. They offered me jobs, [ironically] as a receptionist, but I turned them down," says Mariam. "They think you need muscle to do this job, I say no you just need a mind.""It took years of hard work to gain their trust. Now these same men ask for me when they bring their cars in for service."

Mariam didn't just face obstacles at work. Her own family almost threw a wrench in her plans to be a mechanic."At first my brothers were really against it; a woman working among men in a garage they said it's not our culture. But I don't agree, I think we have to evolve just as our city is evolving, as Emiratis we have to push boundaries and find interesting jobs, not just sit behind a desk in an air-conditioned office and do nothing." "As a housewife I saw nothing of the world," says Mariam. "Now I'm working and interacting with people from all over the world, I'm learning so much, experiencing so much, I'm a different person. Women all over the world should understand that our gender is not an obstacle," she says.

Mariam has also become an asset in her neighbourhood. "My sons are always bringing their friends to ask for advice about cars. It feels good when people ask for my advice," says Mariam. "It feels like all the hard work has paid off."

Mariam hopes to complete her secondary education this year and then go on to get a college degree. "There is no such thing as too late if you have the passion and the will," says Mariam.

Mariam's ambition is to one day run all the Al Futtaim service centre, "I really want to go to Japan and see how they work there at the Toyota factory." Her other dream is to one day have a garage of her own. "I'm very grateful to Al Futtaim and the Emiratisation programme for this unique opportunity. But why not, just like Al Futtaim, maybe one day you will see Al Murraim."

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