ABU DHABI // A delegation of US congresswomen told members of the Federal National Council yesterday that they were surprised by the similarities between their work.
In the FNC building in the capital, five congresswomen - Martha Roby (Republican, Alabama) Susan Davis (Democrat, California), Niki Tsongas (Dem, Massachusetts), Tammy Duckworth (Dem, Illinois), and Kristi Noem (Rep, South Dakota) - sat with Dr Amal Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi), the first deputy speaker, Noura Al Kaabi (Abu Dhabi) and Salem Al Ameri (Abu Dhabi), who told them about the FNC's role.
Dr Al Qubaisi told the delegation that although members came from different emirates, in the council they represented the whole country.
She said the UAE's gradual steps towards full democracy were the right approach, given the turmoil elsewhere in the region. "We see around us the Arab world is boiling, we are stable ... that is what we want, for us and our children," she said.
Not only could the FNC amend, pass, or reject legislation, proposals passed to the Government were usually accepted, reflecting "respect for us".
Outside the council, she said members communicated with the public through open forums and hearings. "These links between us and them have made the FNC's credibility very high," she said.
Ms Al Kaabi added that members often tweeted about sessions and topics of discussion so people could add their input, which members would then raise with ministers.
"We like how accessible you are to the people," a member of the delegation said.
When asked if the public responded and interacted with the council, the FNC members said they did, particularly about education.
Dr Al Qubaisi recalled a session last term, when the council debated the need for longer maternity leave. She invited women associations "to come and see the pressure" they placed on the Government.
The visitors asked about the council's biggest challenges. Dr Al Qubaisisaid there were two - people not knowing their full rights and a lack of knowledge of the role of the FNC.
"Sometimes people ask for rights, but they are already in the constitution," she said. "And the FNC is not an executive authority, it oversees legislation."
She said often people confused local and federal government entities, which would then often leave them disappointed when FNC members could not help with local issues - even though they often tried.
"We don't want to let them down, but at the same time we do not want to step on others' toes," she said.
Ms Roby said that often happened to them as well. "We sometimes get phone calls about issues not related to our jurisdiction," she said.
Dr Al Qubaisi said in some cases they needed to find a balance between what people wanted and what that could lead to. This included cases of women wanting fewer working hours.
"For me as a woman I can see why they want this, but my worries go beyond that," she said. "This might lead to HR managers thinking twice before they employ women."
Dr Al Qubaisi ended by saying that the male FNC members were strong supporters of the female members.
Ms Roby said the role of women on the council could be a "beacon of hope for other women in the region".
"We see the struggle in Afghanistan and other places, and quickly saw the Emirates has embraced the importance of having a woman's perspective on the table," she said.
She said in Afghanistan, where they visited before coming to the UAE, she saw the "great" UAE work there, both in military and humanitarian aid.