Her Highness provides directives to the council to promote partnerships between the private and public sectors to increase female participation
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and President of Dubai Women Establishment (DWE), stated that the UAE has prioritised the enhancement of the country’s educational system for both genders in addition to promoting female participation in different sectors. These goals are achieved through the adoption of legislations that support women, which are one of the main reasons behind the UAE’s standing as one of the world’s leading nations in female literacy and education levels (preparatory and secondary school), according to the Gender Gap Report issued by the World Economic Forum.
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “The remarkable achievements of women in the UAE would not have been possible without the strong belief of our leaders in the importance of involving both men and women in the development of our nation, and providing them with equal opportunities. The UAE’s progress is dependent on innovation and continual achievements in different sectors by both genders. Our leaders ensure that the rights of all people are upheld, without discrimination, and provide women with an opportunity to make a difference in the community and in different roles.”
Her Highness also said that the UAE Gender Balance Council will work on rallying the necessary support for its goals by partnering with private and public entities and cooperating with all concerned parties to achieve the targeted female integration levels, and to create suitable and supportive work environments to ensure that women support the UAE’s goals and that they achieve their aspirations within the shortest time possible.
The UAE Gender Balance Council held its third meeting at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, headed by Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council HE Mona Ghanem Al Marri. Attendees at the meeting included Director-General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority HE Abdullah Nasser Lootah; Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs HE Dr. Abdul Rahim Yousef Al Awadi; Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) HE Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar; Acting Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs HE Naji Al Hai; Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood HE Reem Abdullah Eisa Al Falasi; Assistant to the Director-General for Strategy and Innovation in the Prime Minister's Office HE Huda Al Hashimi; and Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council Shamsa Saleh.
HE Mona Al Marri said the UAE government’s aim to achieve high rankings in global competitiveness reports has helped to enhance the role of women in the UAE, which has supported the narrowing of the gender gap and guaranteed women and men equal opportunities in all sectors. This had paved the way for the achievement of important gender balance milestones.
During the meeting, the council presented its work plan and its vision, and adopted the UAE Gender Balance Program with a set timeline. The timeline began with the announcement of the creation of the council in 2015, and was followed by the launch of the national gender balance program in February 2016. The Program focuses on reviewing current legislations, and proposing new ones related to gender balance in addition to overseeing their implementation. The Program aims to make the UAE one of the top 25 ranked nations globally in the Gender Inequality Index devised by the UN Development Programme, in addition to supporting other initiatives which include the ’UAE Gender Balance Stamp’ medals for individuals who support gender balance and the ‘Best Three UAE Gender Balance Support Initiatives Award’.
The Program incorporates a number of initiatives, which include the Institutions’ Balance Guide a manual for gender balance in the workplace, The National Political Empowerment Program; which aims to support women to work in various fields, including the political sector, and an initiative for Women in Boards of Directors. The Program also incorporates a series of events and inspiring sessions, in addition to setting a framework for international partnerships and for inclusion in global reports, such as the Gender Inequality Index, issued by the UN Development Programme, the research and studies issued by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Global Gender Gap report issued by the World Economic Forum.
The UAE Gender Balance Program highlights the various indexes that the UAE leads, in addition to the many achievements it has made in this area, which include closing gender gaps in higher education and secondary education, and ensuring gender parity in literacy rates. The UAE also has a 27.5% female representation rate in its ministries and a 15% rate of female participation in government boards.
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