Predictors of Wellbeing for Women with Disabilities in the United Arab Emirates

Women with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face unique challenges due to traditional gender roles and societal expectations. Despite these challenges, recent social policies in the UAE aimed at supporting people with disabilities have significantly improved their life satisfaction. This study explores the determinants of happiness for women with disabilities compared disabled men using data from the 2017 National Survey for Happiness and Positivity. Contrary to expectations, women with disabilities in the UAE have highest happiness scores compared to women without disabilities and men with/without disabilities. Furthermore, both women with and without disabilities consistently over score men with/without disabilities in happiness and life satisfaction levels in the UAE. In line with our assumption of higher women's vulnerability, we found that women with disabilities report lower levels of satisfaction with their physical health, mental health and their ability to perform daily life activities as well as they declare a bit higher anxiety level than men with disabilities. However, the scores’ differences are not significant. At the same time, women with disabilities report higher levels of satisfaction with the health care facilities and social connections. These findings suggest that the UAE's inclusive policies and redesignation of people with disabilities as “people of determination” may contribute to these high happiness levels. The study highlights the importance of tailored social policies and programs aimed at addressing the specific needs of women with disabilities, emphasizing social and healthcare support, and suggests that continued efforts in this area are yielding positive outcomes. These results provide valuable insights for policymakers to further enhance the wellbeing of women with disabilities, ensuring their full inclusion and empowerment in society.