However important women become in the workplace, and no matter how many stereotypes they have shattered to get there, they are still sexualised.
How often does an attractive woman in a position of power become the focus of the media, precisely because she is pretty?
There is nothing wrong with noting both beauty and brains, as that breaks the “blonde bimbo” stereotype, which I loathe. But there is no need to always tie looks and intelligence together, even if plenty of studies show that attractive people do have it easier in life.
But I want to focus on something raised this week by a female doctor. Many men will, I suspect, avoid reading the rest of this column just because it touches upon an issue they often make fun of.
At the Arab Women in Leadership and Business Summit in Dubai, Dr Maryam Matar made a speech in which she noted that the decisions she had made that she had regretted were those “directly related to my oestrogen”.
“Before I used to take my period for granted. I don’t care when it’s my first day, when I’m ovulating, when oestrogen is up, when the progesterone is down. Imagine, my dear, the biggest influence you will get as a woman is when your oestrogen is high,” she said, according to a published transcript.
She said that sometimes there are hormones in the body over which you have no control. Sometimes you will make a decision which is not right and you will be angry.
Her statements angered many people who said it was offensive to suggest that women can’t make decent decisions when menstruating.
Nothing irks most women more than when a male colleague dismisses an argument with the words: “Oh, is it that time of month?”
It has become commonplace for some men to make jokes about women and their “moods” during premenstrual syndrome, popularly known as PMS. No chocolates or Nutella jars are safe at that time of month.
Men have a field day with this, but they are not the ones dealing with this pain every month. Hormonal changes are nothing to scoff at.
What happens inside our bodies affects us in every way, from health and mood to relationships. It is not enough that women have to carry babies, they have to deal with some big adult size brats as well.
Men have mood swings and bad days too, but what is their excuse? At least there is a very obvious reason for the women.
But then again there have been studies that prove that even men go through different hormonal cycles that impact their behaviour. Some have called it “irritable male syndrome”, which is triggered by hormonal imbalance and stress.
In short, we all have bad days, and we just have to be kinder to and more understanding of one another.
In defence of what Dr Matar said, she included an important point that I have come across previously. She mentioned a Dubai Court study that noticed most divorces are triggered during the menstruation time.
Several lawyers have told me that they quietly make notes to themselves to ask a woman who institutes divorce proceedings whether she did so at that “time of the month”. So whatever we think of it, PMS does impact lives in more than one way.
Dr Matar went on to mention religion.
“If the divorce happens during the menstruation time”, she said, “it would not be considered as an official divorce,” urging women to avoid taking decisions two days before the first day of their periods, or during the first and second days of menstruation. She also recommend not inviting one’s mother-in-law over on the first day of your period.
While this column may have been too “hormonal” for some, it is important to note that we need to be more aware of our bodies and its changes, and how our diets and lifestyle play into it as, honestly, a bad day can easily lead us to make bad decisions.
rghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @Arabianmau
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
