UAE marks ‘Emirati Women’s Day’

The UAE has celebrated the "Emirati Women's Day" today (on Monday), 28th August 2023, which represents an annual national occasion to express pride in the outstanding achievements of Emirati woman and her pivotal role and distinguished contribution to the country's renaissance and sustainable development.

The theme of this year’s Emirati Women's Day, "We Collaborate for Tomorrow”, launched by Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak (The Mother of the Nation), 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), is in line with UAE’s 2023 theme "Today for Tomorrow” launched by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and aims to highlight the UAE's domestic efforts and its global contribution to addressing sustainability challenges by finding innovative solutions in the fields of energy and climate change.

The UAE ranked first in the Arab world, and 11th globally, in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2022 Gender Inequality Index (GII) topping the countries of the Middle East and North Africa region for the third consecutive year. The UAE topped the countries of the Middle East and North Africa region for the third consecutive year in the World Bank’s "Women, Business and the Law Report 2023". The UAE also ranked first among Arab countries in the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2022 Global Gender Gap Report.

The UAE has succeeded in enhancing women's participation in political life, leadership positions and decision-making positions, as their representation in the ministerial formation of the country's government amount to some 27.5 percent, and reaches 50 percent in membership of the Federal National Council (FNC), which is among the highest regional and global rates, according to reports and competitiveness indicators.

The UAE ranked first globally in women's parliamentary representation for 2020 and 2021 within the Global Competitiveness Index issued by Switzerland’s Institute of Management Development, as well as within the index of women's parliamentary representation for 2021 and 2022 in WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report.

Over the past recent 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.

WAM