Women have come a long way in how they participate in and are recognised at work. Just a few generations ago, women in Victorian Britain were paid the same as eleven‑year‑old boys, and children often preferred factory work to the exhausting labour they shared with their mothers at home.
Progress came step by step, often driven by technology. Each major wave of innovation expanded women’s freedom, mobility, and economic power. Sanitary pads meant girls no longer had to miss school and women could work during their periods. The bicycle gave women independent mobility, access to jobs beyond their neighbourhoods, and the confidence to challenge restrictive dress codes. Trousers followed as a practical response to this new freedom.
In the digital age, the internet has transformed how women learn, connect, build careers, and express themselves. In the UAE, especially, digital access has helped women pursue education, launch businesses, and balance ambition with family life in ways unimaginable a generation ago.
Yet gaps remain, particularly in financial participation and the disproportionate unpaid care work women still shoulder. This is why the next wave of women’s wellbeing may come from an unexpected place: robotisation and process automation.
Automation has long improved living conditions, and its next impact is more personal: it can finally remove women from manual jobs that still expose them to fumes, dust, extreme temperatures, and repetitive strain. These roles haven’t disappeared – many women worldwide still do physically demanding work that affects long‑term health.
Robotisation changes that. Instead of eliminating jobs, it shifts women out of hazardous environments and into safer, more skilled positions. When robots take on heavy lifting, toxic air, or repetitive motions, women can step into roles as operators, supervisors, and coordinators of those same machines. Tasks that once required physical strength now rely on attention, judgement, and digital confidence – qualities women already excel in.
This transition opens doors that were previously closed. Heavy industry has historically been difficult for women to enter because the work demanded physical force. With robotics, those barriers fall away. Operating a robot, programming a workflow, or overseeing automated production creates gender‑neutral roles where women can participate fully, progress faster, and build long, healthy careers without the physical toll.
But the impact of automation goes far beyond factories. Many women today work in roles involving repetitive digital tasks: keying in data, processing invoices, sorting applications, or manually transferring information between systems. These tasks may seem harmless, but research shows that monotonous work contributes to mental fatigue, stress, and “boreout” – a form of burnout caused by chronic under‑stimulation. Women, who often juggle both dull jobs and demanding caregiving responsibilities, feel this strain most. Boreout can lead to chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.
This is where Robotic Process Automation (RPA) becomes a wellbeing tool as much as a technical one. Simple automations can take over the most repetitive office tasks, reducing errors by up to 90% and freeing women to focus on creative, strategic, or people‑centred work. Instead of spending hours on data entry, women can redirect their energy toward problem‑solving, innovation, further education, or simply more family or downtime.
Contrary to the fear that “robots steal jobs,” global data shows the opposite. Countries with the highest robot adoption – South Korea, Singapore, and Japan – consistently maintain some of the lowest unemployment rates. These are also countries where women participate strongly in scientific, creative, and entrepreneurial fields.
At OneSun, a UAE‑based robotics company, the focus is on designing automation that is efficient and environmentally responsible using recycled aluminium, reducing energy consumption, and making robotics accessible even to smaller businesses. For women, this means more opportunities to work remotely, manage automated systems, or move into roles such as robot operators, supervisors, or process designers – careers that are flexible, future‑proof, and family‑friendly.
The UAE is uniquely positioned to lead this next chapter and become a global example of how automation can enhance women’s wellbeing, expand their choices, and support a more balanced, fulfilling life. The country already demonstrates remarkable progress: 77% of Emirati women pursue higher education, women hold 30% of public‑sector leadership roles, 50% of Federal National Council seats, and 23,000 Emirati businesswomen manage AED 50 billion in projects.
The next wave of female empowerment won’t come from working harder but from working smarter, supported by technologies that give women more time, more safety, and more freedom to thrive.
This opinion piece is authored by Dmitrii Gartung, Founder and CEO of OneSun.
