Emirati women to take up Antarctica challenge

Five Emirati women going on an expedition to Antarctica next month want to use their trip to change misconceptions and stereotypes about women in the region.




"We would like to show the world that UAE women can do whatever their counterparts in the rest of the world are able to do," Khadijah Al Muttawa, an anti-money laundering officer with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), told Gulf News yesterday.



"We would like to break the misconception or stereotype about Arab and Muslim women — that they are not free to work towards achieving their personal ambitions or goals," she said.



Khadijah and four colleagues — Alia Al Khafajy, Anna Ayoub, Oshba Mubarak and Yasmin Al Juwadri — will join the expedition titled 2041 International Antarctica Expedition from February 27 to March 12 this year.





The five women are being sponsored by their employer, NBAD, for the expedition, which will be led by polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan