PN: You’re one of only 9 female parliamentarians in the Federal National Council of the UAE, in the country where women have only recently gained access to political life. How difficult was it to establish yourself as a parliamentarian?

NA: I would not say difficult, I would say challenging, and I have always enjoyed challenges.  It might be hard at the beginning, but I’ve grown immensely with each challenge. My time in the Parliament has been an invaluable learning experience; it has given me great insight into the core strategic issues facing our society, as well as a deep understanding of the institutional challenges that we need to work on.

PN: You are the youngest MP, how does this influence your work in the Parliament and the way you are regarded by your older colleagues?

NA: Of course people first assume that I have less experience and ability to work in the Parliament because of my age. But I would like to add, with certain humility, that at this stage I’ve gained the respect of my older colleagues based on the quality of my work in Parliament. I believe in continuous learning and hard work, and these are the principles I have applied during my term in the Parliament. I don’t think much about my young age, I think about how I can be useful for my society.

PN: You’ve stated once, in an interview, that you can serve your country better working as a parliamentarian rather than in the media industry. Now, after three years in the Parliament, do you still hold this opinion?

NA: I sincerely believe that the role of the media and the Parliament are complimentary and fully interconnected. Both should be focused on public service. Mass media can inform and enlighten citizens so that theyeffectively take part in the political life. As a MP I’ve been working on reviewing and improving draft legislation and engaging the government in the dialogue about the core issues facing society and the solutions and policies that need to be addressed and put forward. The areas I am most passionate about, and have been focused on throughout my term, are education, youth and media.

PN: You have an extensive experience in the media industry. How does it help you in your political career?

NA: My experience in the media has given me a lot of insight into how the mass media can influence people’s mindset and their actions. To build a civil society and increase political participation of all our citizens we need to enlighten and inform people by giving them access to unbiased modern mass media. I’ve tried to focus on it during my term in the Parliament, making sure that the MPs contribute to creation of a progressive mass media market in the UAE.  Working in the media has certainly enabled me to understand how it all works, so I am able to put things into perspective.

PN: Female MPs from Afghanistan and Pakistan find it very difficult to make their positions heard and respected. Do you experience the same problem in the UAE? Do female MPs have the same leverage as their male colleagues?

NA: I do believe that women in the UAE have more political leverage than women in Pakistan and Afghanistan, at this stage. Women in the UAE have been privileged to have clear support of the government in their bid to make their voices heard. However, I don’t mean that women in the UAE are on equal footing with men; we still live in a patriarchal society, where men are regarded as inherent and natural leaders, and the role of women is interpreted through that lens. Things are moving on, however, but we have a long way to go before we’ll be able to say that women have reached the stage where they have equal opportunities with men.

PN: You are strongly committed to promoting human rights and especially women’s rights in the Arab countries. Do you maintain any ties with the MPs from other Muslim countries?

NA: Undoubtedly, there must be solidarity between Arab women, whether they are MPs or civil society activists or just women who want to help and make a difference. The cooperation between Arab female MPs should be given a boost. Meetings are constantly held between Arab female parliamentarians to exchange knowledge and law-making experience. But we certainly need to institutionalize these encounters so as to be able to work as a solid movement and try to abolish the inequalities that women face in the whole Arab world.

PN: More and more female MPs want to increase their impact in peace and security issues, as well. How high is conflict prevention on the political agenda in the UAE?

NA: The issue of conflict prevention is extremely high on the political agenda in the UAE. The UAE has always believed in playing a pro-active role in addressing conflicts regionally and globally through diplomacy, dialogue, and support for progressive development agendas of the neighboring countries that need assistance. The UAE is situated in a highly volatile Middle East region, facing many complex challenges, and we live in an interconnected world, so conflict prevention is the key to the strategic interests of our country.  The UAE’s strategy is to be an active player in the global community, using pro-active diplomacy and dialogue.