Today the UAE celebrate the “Emirati Women’s Day“, which represents a national occasion to express pride in the outstanding achievements of Emirati woman and her pivotal role as a key partner in the development of society and in shaping the future.
The theme of this year’s Emirati Women’s Day “Inspiring Reality… Sustainable Future” was announced by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
The occasion annually highlights the distinguished strides made by the UAE to promote women empowerment, emphasizing the need to continue developing women’s skills and capabilities, as well as calling all national bodies to cooperate to create a sustainable future for Emirati women in line with the ‘Principles of the 50’.
This year’s occasion coincides with the adoption of the UAE Gender Balance Council Strategy 2026, which aims to further reduce the gender gap across all sectors, enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality and achieve gender balance in decision-making positions, as well as promote the UAE’s status as a benchmark for gender balance legislation.
The strategy includes the following four main pillars and objectives: – “Economic Participation, Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion” that aims to close the economic gender gap by growing women’s participation, retention, and leadership in the economy and increasing women’s financial literacy and presence in the entrepreneurial sector.
“Wellbeing” to ensure all physical, mental are preventive health supports are gender-equitable.
“Protections” to increase social and legal protections and emphasise on security of all women.
“International Partnerships and Leadership” to strengthen gender balance in the region and around the world through sustained action, leadership and partnership building The UAE has been ranked 18th globally and the first regionally in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2020 Gender Inequality Index (GII). Today, it is looking forward to entering the list of the world’s top ten.
The UAE ranked first in the Arab world in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Gender Gap Report 2022. The UAE climbed four global ranks to 68th place, after being in the 72nd place globally in last year’s edition.
Over the past two years, the UAE has issued new legislations and legislative amendments for more than 20 legal articles that included the areas of work, protection, political participation, personal status, judicial corps, wages, banking transactions, freedom of movement, marriage, entrepreneurship, property and pension, all of which would enhance the gains of women, guarantee and protect their rights and raise the UAE’s stature in competitiveness indicators and global reports.
