• Dubai Women’s College
• UAE University

Enrollment Figures (% of females in the Cisco Networking Academy Program, as of 2001):

• Dubai Women’s College: 100%
• UAE University: 57%
• Recruitment & Retention Strategies
• Hold high school career days with college supervisors or instructors discussing the program.
• Organize seminars and distribute brochures to students promoting the program.
• Create an Information Technology faculty to include electrical engineering, computer science, and MIS majors.

Constraints/Challenges

• English language capacity—The course can be challenging for non-native English speakers.
• Male instructors—The lack of female instructors may inhibit female enrollment due to female students’ discomfort/unfamiliarity with male instructors.
• Interactive materials—The curriculum needs to be more interactive because it is difficult to “read and read.”
• Family disapproval of internships for female students—Some families will not permit female students to do internships in all-male workplaces.
• Unequal facilities at the female campus.

Recommendations

• Offer support and job placement. Encourage families to support women’s participation in the IT workforce.
• Add Arabic supplements to the curriculum.
• Recruit more female Networking Academy instructors.
• Ensure that Networking lab facilities at female and male campuses are equal in quality and capacity.

Complete report, to include the following:

• Overview of Women and IT in the UAE
• IT Policy Framework
• Gender Policy Framework
• Non-Government Gender & IT Initiatives
• Cisco Networking Academy Program in the UAE

Constraints/Challenges
English language capacity—The course can be challenging for non-native English speakers.
Male instructors—The lack of female instructors may inhibit female enrollment due to female students’ discomfort/unfamiliarity with male instructors.
Interactive materials—The curriculum needs to be more interactive because it is difficult to “read and read.”
Family disapproval of internships for female students—Some families will not permit female students to do internships in all-male workplaces.
Unequal facilities at the female campus.

Recommendations
Offer support and job placement. Encourage families to support women’s participation in the IT workforce.
Add Arabic supplements to the curriculum.
Recruit more female Networking Academy instructors.
Ensure that Networking lab facilities at female and male campuses are equal in quality and capacity.

Complete report, to include the following:
Overview of Women and IT in the UAE
IT Policy Framework
Gender Policy Framework
Non-Government Gender & IT Initiatives
Cisco Networking Academy Program in the UAE