The majority of women work in traditional fields such as education and health, and most women work for government ministries. There are no legal barriers preventing women from working. In fact, aware of its limited population resources, the UAE encourages women to obtain an education and to work. The UAE military accepts UAE women as voluntary recruits. The pressures of a traditional society, however, still inhibit most women from working.
Families expect women to marry early and concentrate on raising children.
While fathers may agree to send their daughters to college in the UAE, only a small percentage of UAE women go on to full time jobs. Private industry and government ministries face real problems in employing women. Like their male counterparts, UAE women seem to prefer living in rural areas away from the cities where the jobs are located. However, it is socially unacceptable for UAE women to live alone in an apartment or hotel in the city during the week. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can hire women to work in Abu Dhabi, but cannot post women overseas.