‘UAE a role model for gender balance’
Global conclave hears of efforts to bridge the gap
The UAE leadership’s confidence in the competencies of women has enabled the nation to be a global leader in gender balance, said Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice-President of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
Her comments came on Wednesday during the 8th Dubai International Project Management Forum (DIPMF).
The rapid progress that the UAE has achieved in gender balance is demonstrated by the country being ranked first in the Arab world and 11th globally on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) of the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2022, Her Excellency said.
The country has jumped 38 positions on the GII since the establishment of UAE Gender Balance Council seven years ago. The UAE was also ranked first for the second consecutive year both in the World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and the Law 2022’ report and the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2022, she added.
Strengthening initiatives
Speaking at DIPMF, Al Marri said the year 2022 saw the country’s private sector further strengthening its involvement in initiatives to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5). A total of 56 local and international companies based in the UAE have joined a national initiative to raise the percentage of women occupying senior leadership positions to 30 per cent by 2025. Some companies have already increased the percentage of senior women leaders in their organisations to 27 per cent, she added.
She also said that by demonstrating their capabilities in various fields, women have gained the confidence of the UAE leadership. Women comprise 27.5 per cent of the UAE cabinet and 50 per cent of the UAE Federal National Council, and hold key positions as members of the diplomatic corps.
“UAE women have made substantial contributions in various sectors and play vital leadership roles in accelerating the growth and sustainable development of the nation,” she added.
Al Marri further said the UAE Gender Balance Council’s selection as the World Economic Forum’s knowledge partner to advance gender balance globally, recognises the nation’s pioneering and influential role in advancing the gender balance agenda in the Arab world. In partnership with the World Bank, the UAE Gender Balance Council has set up a Centre for Excellence in the country to share the UAE’s expertise in the field and provide assistance to countries in the region to bridge the gender gap.