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Have you ever imagined that in the United Arabian Emirates there is a Gender Balance Council? Moreover, in Dubai, since 2006, women have had an institute dedicated to their interest – Dubai Women Establishment. Since the establishment of the UAE in 1971, women in the area have enjoyed the support of the leadership and are considered “vital counterparts” for the nation’s development and prosperity in all areas.
Beyond that, these two institutions are chaired by a lady Sheikh – Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.
There is also a General Union of Women and a Supreme Council for Maternity and Childhood, a Foundation for the Development of the Family, the “mother of the nation”, all under the patronage of another sheika, Her Highness Fatima bint Mubarak. The existence of these organizations means legislative facilities, public policies and initiatives that strengthen women’s rights and facilitate their participation in economic, political and social life, as well as access to international forums.
At the same time, the private sector in the United Arab Emirates stands out for its goals and encourages gender parity. 18 local and multinational companies have committed to increasing the representation of women in management positions to 30% by 2025. Among the companies that have signed up for this initiative are Unilever, Standard Chartered Bank, MasterCard, Michelin, UPS, General Motors, Schneider Electric, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, BASF, Mars, Nestle, General Mills, Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC), Dubai Holding.
All these concrete actions to support women, as well as the announced intentions to boost gender balance, have propelled the United Arab Emirates to first place in the Arab world in the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Gender Gap Report. Also, the United Arab Emirates climbed four global ranks at the World level – up to 68th place.
At Expo 2020 Dubai, the luxurious Women’s Pavilion was set up, and created in collaboration with Cartier jewelry company. Here there were debates related to gender equality, which they called “the mother of all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
While progress has been made towards gender equality, the road ahead remains long, and even longer now that two years of the coronavirus have pushed progress back 36 years, the Women’s World Majlis panel agreed.
Photo: VFS Official Facebook Page – Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice President, UAE Gender Balance Council, and Chairperson, Global Council on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), along with Mr. Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global, signed the SDG 5 Pledge to Accelerate Gender Balance in the UAE private sector at a ceremony in Dubai
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