UAE to promote female participation in all sectors
abu dhabi — The UAE will prioritise the enhancement of the country’s educational system for both genders, according to Shaikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Additionally, the government will work to promote 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, according to the Gender Gap Report issued by the World Economic Forum.
“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,” Shaikha Manal said. “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.”
She added 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.
Mona Al Marri, the Vice-President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, 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.
Our leaders ensure that the rights of all people are upheld, without discrimination, and provide women with an opportunity to make a difference.” Shaikha Manal bint Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum
The UAE Gender Balance Council held its third meeting in Dubai, which presented the council’s work plan and vision, and adopted the UAE Gender Balance Programme with a set timeline.
It 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’.
gender Balance programme
The programme incorporates a number of initiatives, which include the Institutions’ Balance 27.5% is the female representation rate in the UAE ministries 15% is the rate of female participation in UAE government boards Guide, a manual for gender balance in the workplace; The National Political Empowerment Programme, which aims to support women to work in various fields, including the political sector and an initiative for Women in Boards of Directors. It also incorporates a series of events and inspiring sessions, in addition to setting a framework for international partnerships and for inclusion in global reports.
The UAE Gender Balance Programme 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 per cent female representation rate in its ministries and a 15 per cent rate of female participation in government boards.
The council also discussed maternity leave in all fields in both the public and private sectors, in line with the efforts of the recently formed commission created to review the maternity and childhood law.
The meeting also saw the appointment of Shamsa Saleh as Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council, in addition to the adoption of the council’s internal regulations. “The UAE is leading in areas such as female literacy and female education. These achievements reflect the ongoing efforts by our wise leaders to close the gender gap and to create an environment that is supportive for women, particularly in critical sectors such as the education sector,” Al Marri said.