UAE working on Gender Balance Programme, eyeing key milestones

 The UAE is enhancing its educational system for both men and women besides promoting women’s participation in different sectors, said H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and President of Dubai Women Establishment, DWE. H.H. Sheikha Manal is wife of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The goals for gender balance are achieved by adopting legislations that support women, making the UAE one of the world’s leading nations in female literacy and education levels, both preparatory and secondary-level education, 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. The UAE’s progress is dependent on innovation and continual achievements in different sectors by both genders," Sheikha Manal said.

"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.

The UAE Gender Balance Council will work on getting necessary support for its goals by partnering with private and public entities, and co-operating with all concerned parties to achieve the targeted female integration levels. It will also create suitable and supportive work environments to ensure that women support the UAE’s goals and 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 Mona Ghanem Al Marri. Other present at the meeting included Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; Dr. Abdul Rahim Yousef Al Awadi, Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs; Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, FAHR; Naji Al Hai, Acting Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs; Reem Abdullah Eisa Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood; Huda Al Hashimi, Assistant Director-General for Strategy and Innovation in the Prime Minister's Office, and Shamsa Saleh, Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council.

Al Marri said that the UAE government’s aim to achieve high rankings in global competitiveness reports has helped enhance the role of women in the country. It has also helped narrow the gender gap and guaranteed women and men equal opportunities in all sectors. This, in turn, paved the way for achieving key gender balance milestones.

During the meeting, the council presented its work plan and vision, adopted as per a timeline for implementing the UAE Gender Balance Programme. The timeline had started with the creation of the council in 2015 and was followed by the launch of the national gender balance programme in February this year. The programme focusses on reviewing current legislations and proposing new ones related to gender balance, in addition to overseeing their implementation.

The programme aims to make the country one of the top 25 nations on the Gender Inequality Index, devised by the United Nations Development Programme. The UAE programme also supports other initiatives, including the ‘UAE Gender Balance Stamp’ medals for individuals who support gender balance and the ‘Best Three UAE Gender Balance Support Initiatives Award’.

At its third meeting, the Council also discussed maternity leave in all fields in both public and private sectors, in line with the efforts of the recently formed commission created under the directives of H.H. Sheikha Manal to review the maternity and childhood law and to ensure that the UAE is providing a supportive environment for women, in sync with global best practices.