Leader’s support makes UAE global leader in gender balance, report says – News

Sheikha Manal says achievement of Gender Balance Council enables UAE to consolidate its position among world’s leading nations

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The UAE Gender Balance Council has achieved remarkable success on the global stage. This achievement was made possible with the support of wise leadership and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), Mothers of the Nation, Council the report said.

In the report, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the UAE Gender Balance Council, Chairman of the Dubai Women’s Agency (DWE), Deputy Prime Minister and wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of the Presidential Court, shed light on the Council’s efforts over the past seven years. Implemented initiatives and projects, all of which have contributed significantly to global recognition of the UAE’s commitment to gender balance.

Sheikha Manal expressed pride in these achievements, stressing that the support and progressive vision of wise leadership has enabled the UAE to cement its position as a world leader in this field, where Emirati women have achieved notable success over the past 50 years. She added that legislation and policies established the principles of equal opportunity, equal rights and obligations, and equal access to work.

Sheikha Manal confirmed that these efforts have transformed the work culture in the UAE and have seen the country successfully climb in several international reports measuring gender equality, from 49th in 2015 and 18th in the Arab world to 2020 Global 18th on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index (GII). The UAE also ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa region in the 2021 and 2022 World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and Law’ report, which measures governments around the world in enacting laws designed to protect and empower women economically and legislative efforts.

In the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2021 and 2022, the UAE also ranked first in the Arab world and globally in four sub-indicators: female parliamentary representation, literacy rate, sex ratio at birth and girls’ ratio’ primary education enrolment Rate. In the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, the UAE also leads the world in female parliamentary representation in 2020 and 2021, with female representation in the Federal National Assembly reaching 50% and in the global gender gap in secondary school enrolment in human capital Ranked number one in the World Economic Forum report.

Sheikha Manal said the UAE’s Gender Balance Strategy 2022-2026 aims to build the UAE’s global leadership and influence in the field, stressing that under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Al Balance is a priority in the country’s vision for Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

She also praised Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak’s more than half-century of support for women in the family, social, educational and professional fields, which has led to significant progress in gender balance and equal opportunities for all, making the UAE a regional s country. model to follow.

She discussed the most important projects implemented by the Council since its inception, including the “Gender Balance Guide: Actions for UAE Organizations” developed in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the first of its kind in the world Support gender balance in the workplace. Another initiative is the Gender Balance Index, developed in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office, which recognises government figures, initiatives and entities that support gender balance. Sheikha Manal announced that the index will soon be implemented at the local government level after its great success and impact at the federal level since 2017, which will play an important role in enhancing the UAE’s global competitiveness.

During Expo 2020, the Council released a report entitled “Better Balance: A Comprehensive Overview of Gender Balance in the UAE” to promote gender balance awareness in the UAE, highlight its processes and achievements in the country, and explore Opportunities to enhance gender balance and its competitiveness globally.

Since 2019, the UAE Gender Balance Council has worked with a group including ministries and federal authorities to review, update and propose new legislation and policies related to women to strengthen gender balance in the country and fill any gaps in global indicators . As a result, over three years, new laws and legislative improvements have been enacted in more than 20 legal articles covering work, protection, political participation, personal status laws, parental leave, wages, banking transactions, freedom of movement, marriage, entrepreneurship, property and pension.

In 2020, the Council, in partnership with the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), launched a “Guide to Women on Boards” as part of its efforts to increase the representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions in the public and private sectors, due to previous experience and expertise. Research has proven its positive effects.

In 2012, the UAE was the first country in the region, and the second country in the world, after Norway, to enact binding legislation requiring female representation on the boards of government entities and agencies. The SCA has also implemented a policy to increase the representation of women. Female representation on public company boards. Through these efforts, women’s representation on the boards of federal government entities has increased to 24 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively, on the boards of the country’s chambers of commerce and industry.