The UAE will celebrate “Emirati Women’s Day” on Sunday, which represents a national occasion to highlight Emirati Woman’s contributions to the UAE’s renaissance and sustainable development processes.
The theme of this year’s Emirati Women’s Day “Inspiring Reality .. Sustainable Future” was announced by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
According to a report by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sheikha Fatima’s approach to women’s work is characterized by a balance between seeking openness to the spirit of the times and preserving Arab authenticity and Islamic traditions, believing that preserving cultural privacy is the only way to achieve the desired progress.
On this occasion, Tamkeen and StartAD launched, under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima, the global business acceleration platform supported by Tamkeen, which is based at New York University Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the US Embassy in the UAE and the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office. A publication entitled “Achievable Emirati Women”, includes success stories of 51 leaders, inspiring and pioneering Emirati women in various social, economic, and scientific fields, by presenting their experiences and inspiring ideas.
Gender balance strategy
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, and enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality.
The strategy includes the following four main pillars and objectives: – “Economic Participation, Entrepreneurship, and Financial Inclusion”, “Well-being and quality of life,” “Protections,” and “International partnerships and leadership.” This strategy aims to close the economic gender disparities and focus on post-global competitiveness.
“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 72nd place globally in last year’s edition.
Today, the UAE is a global leader in protecting women’s rights, thanks to a supportive legislative environment represented by the constitution, a series of federal laws, and ministerial and local decisions that ensure equal opportunities for men and women.
In addition to the national mechanisms and support bodies represented by women’s empowerment institutions – led by the General Women’s Union and the Emirates Council for Gender Balance – they played a significant role in overcoming the challenges to women’s advancement and empowerment by launching programs and initiatives that contributed to the development of women’s capabilities in various fields.
Over the past two years, the UAE has issued new legislations and legislative amendments to 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 empower women, guarantee and protect their rights and raise the UAE’s stature in competitiveness indicators and global rankings.
