The UAE's Gender Balance Strategy will unlock opportunities for a new generation of talent, said Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
Sheikha Manal made her comments as the council announced a survey aimed at expanding community participation and consolidating insights and data informing priorities for the next phase, reported state news agency Wam on Friday.
“We want the UAE Gender Balance Strategy 2027–2031 to reflect the country’s ambitions for the next phase, keep pace with rapid global transformations and open new horizons for talent and expertise to enrich the development journey, while also unlocking promising future opportunities, strengthening the UAE’s competitiveness, and reinforcing its global leadership in promoting gender balance," said Sheikha Manal.
The survey is aimed at Emiratis and UAE residents, of both genders, across "different age groups, sectors and professional and life stages", reported Wam.
“Numbers and indicators provide us with a distinct part of the picture, while listening to people’s experiences adds an equally important dimension," said Mouza Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
"Through the National Survey, we are working to broaden the base of insights we draw upon and comprehend diverse experiences from different segments of society and across the emirates. The survey results will not be considered in isolation from the other stages of the strategy development process.
"Rather, they will be integrated with the data, consultations and expertise being gathered and analysed as part of this process, leading to a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges at hand and helping to identify the priorities that require focus during the next phase.”
The survey includes a host of topics related to people’s experiences and future aspirations, including economic participation, career development and financial security, social care and quality of life, as well as future skills and the impact of technology, artificial intelligence and economic transformations, added Wam.
“The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and with it, the nature of work, skills, opportunities and responsibilities is changing," said Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
"The question guiding the development of the new strategy is therefore not defined by where we stand today, but how we prepare now for the changes that will reshape the years ahead, and how we turn them into opportunities that strengthen the participation of all members of society and their contribution to the economy and the development process."
Closing the gap
The UAE has taken significant steps to empower Emirati women and provide a platform for progress.
The UAE made the decision in December 2018 to ensure that 50 per cent of the Federal National Council – the country's consultative parliamentary body – would be women.
Women also constitute 46 per cent of Stem – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – graduates in the UAE and 80 per cent of the scientific leadership team in the Emirates Mars Mission.
In September 2024, the UAE issued a directive requiring private companies to ensure female representation on boards of directors to bolster gender equality efforts. The move, announced by the Ministry of Economy, was aimed at private joint-stock companies and came into force in January.
Such companies are businesses owned by their investors and require a board of directors to oversee operations.
In March 2024, the UAE was ranked seventh on a global list of nations for efforts to promote gender equality on the Gender Inequality Index, which is part of a UN human development report.
