United Arab Emirates (UAE) needs more childcare facilities as the country is at risk of losing important workforce in its women due to a lack of nurseries for children.
According to Gulf News, the Federal National Council (FNC) highlighted the lack of childcare facilities, especially in the northern emirates.
The report quotes Mariam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs, as saying only a handful of government offices had opened the required childcare facilities since a federal cabinet decision outlining the provision of nurseries was issued in 2006.
The decision instructed all departments at the federal and local level with more than 50 women employees or whose women staff members together have more than 20 children below the age of four to open nurseries on their premises.
“Many government entities have established a nursery or are in the process of doing so,” Mariam said, adding the ministry received as many as 161 applications to set up these facilities.
