Emirati mothers who wish to take leave from their jobs to care for their children are granted the opportunity to do so for a maximum of three years, provided they continue to pay monthly contributions to secure themselves with a lucrative end-of-service benefit. This was confirmed by the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) in the UAE under Federal Law No. 57 of 2023.Â
UAE’s commitment to empowering women
GPSSA emphasized the UAE’s dedication to supporting and empowering Emirati women across various fields, including legislation, education, economy, and politics. This commitment reflects the nation’s belief in the vital role women play in strengthening and developing the country, a vision established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who recognized the integral role of women in all aspects of life.
Under its wise and prudent leadership, the UAE continues to pursue this strategy of empowering women across all sectors, ensuring their active participation in the nation’s progress.
Tailored pension laws for Emirati women
In recognition of the traditional roles and societal contributions of working Emirati women, pension laws have been tailored to provide them with specific benefits, as outlined in Federal Law No. 57 of 2023. This law offers optional contribution rights for Emirati women. Additionally, special provisions are granted to female breadwinners, particularly in the unfortunate event of their husband’s passing. For example, widows are entitled to merge their pension amounts with that of their deceased husbands.
Redistribution of pension percentages
Furthermore, Federal Law No. 57 regarding pension and social insurance, along with its amendments, redistributes pension percentages among beneficiaries by increasing the entitlement shares for widows. If a widow has more than one child, she receives a 40 percent pension share, while children (male and female) are entitled to a 40 percent share of the pension; the father or mother, or both, are entitled to 20 percent of the pension share. This distribution has elevated the widows’ percentages at the expense of her children, as she supports them following the loss of the breadwinner, WAM reported.
Adjusted criteria for married and single mothers
The law has also reduced the age and contribution duration for married, divorced, or widowed females with children, provided they have contributed to the GPSSA for 30 years and have reached the age of 55. This change has resulted in a reduction of two years of contribution payments and three years in age for each of an Emirati mother’s fifth and sixth child, and 3.5 years less in contributions and four years for the seventh child.
The support for women was evident even before Federal Law No. 57 of 2023, as demonstrated in Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 regarding pension and social security and its amendments. This law grants women the right to purchase ten years of service, while men are allowed to purchase only five years. Additionally, the pension law permits the repayment of the share for each daughter and sister.
Conditions affecting pension entitlements
The pension amount, however, is immediately suspended if a daughter gets married, joins an entity due to a divorce, or leaves a job. In contrast, a son stops receiving pension once he reaches the age of 21 or 28 if he is still studying, while a daughter does not lose her pension due to age-related reasons.
Provision for widowed or divorced family members
If a mother, sister, or daughter becomes widowed or divorced after the passing of the pensioner and none of them receive an alternative salary or pension, a share is created for them equal to the share amount at the time the pension is due, without prejudice to the shares of the other beneficiaries.
Equal distribution of pension payments
Moreover, the law ensures equal distribution of pension payments among daughters and sons, granting daughters the same share amount as sons, since the federal pension law does not consider pension a legal inheritance. Contrary to popular belief, a woman’s pension is distributed to her eligible family members, just like that of a man, GPSSA highlighted.Â
