Gender Balance Council presents UNDP with national plans to make UAE one of world's leading 25 countries in Gender Inequality Index
DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 25th Nov, 2019) The UAE Gender Balance Council held a meeting with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Human Development Report Office, to explore areas of collaboration and opportunities to enhance mutual cooperation.
The meeting was held within the framework of the Council’s commitment to fortify global partnerships and exchange best practices with international organizations to reduce the gender gap across all sectors in the UAE and enhance the UAE’s ranking in global gender balance indexes. This is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The meeting was attended by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council; Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, FCSA, and Member of the Council; Pedro Conceicao, Director of the Human Development Report Office of the UNDP; Shamsa Saleh, and other officials.
During the meeting, the most prominent local and international projects executed by the Council since its establishment were discussed, as well as its current action plans, which are set to be implemented in coordination with relevant ministries and local institutions in order to raise the ranking of the UAE to be among the world’s top 25 countries in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index by 2021. This is in line with the directives issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2015 upon the establishment of the Council.
During the meeting, Mona Al Marri highlighted the initiatives and projects launched by the Council during the past four years under the leadership of H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to achieve these national goals. The Council’s initiatives also support international efforts to promote global gender balance and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, 2030, with particular emphasis on SDG 5.
"Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Such efforts include the ‘Global Gender Circles’; the launch of ‘The Gender Balance Guide: Actions for UAE Organisations’ – the first publication of its kind in the world – published in collaboration with Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD; as well as the UAE Gender Balance Index, developed in line with the criteria of the UNDP Gender Inequality Index. The UAE Gender Balance Index has been implemented by the federal government and included among the key national indicators to measure the progress of governmental institutions in narrowing the gender gap.
Mona Al Marri also discussed the Council’s various responsibilities and areas of specialisation, including proposing legislation, policies, programmes and innovative initiatives to positively impact gender balance across the country. In accordance with directives issued from the Cabinet, the Council also develops structured action plans to examine legislative solutions to narrow existing gaps, and provide actionable proposals in cooperation with relevant federal entities.
Al Marri further highlighted recent legislations and initiatives issued by the country’s leadership with the aim of promoting equal opportunities and enhancing gender balance. Such efforts include raising the parliamentary representation of women in the Federal National Council, FNC, to 50 percent, the issuance of the Law on Equal Wages and Salaries, and amending policy to increase the maternity leave from two to three months.
She also discussed several governmental initiatives and policies launched to enhance gender balance, such as increasing the representation of women in the judiciary and diplomatic corps, as well as within the labour market and international organisations. The Cabinet’s efforts also entail the development of a national strategy to support women’s entrepreneurship by facilitating entrepreneurial licenses and supporting self-employment.
During the meeting, Conceicao, commended the UAE’s efforts and the considerable strides made in endorsing gender balance, stating that they reflect an awareness of the importance of women’s roles and their vital participation as equal counterparts in the socio-economic development of the UAE.
He also praised Emirati women’s achievements on the educational and professional levels, and commended their increasing active contribution in both the socio-economic and political spheres. Conceicao stated that the UNDP commends the UAE’s goal to be among the world’s leading 25 countries in the Gender Inequality Index.
The UNDP annually publishes its Gender Inequality Index as part of the Human Development Report, measuring gender balance in three important aspects: health, empowerment and employment. The Index ranks countries using several indicators: maternal mortality ratio, adolescent birth rate, the proportion of parliamentary seats occupied by females, portion of the population comprising of both men and women with at least secondary education, and the labour force participation rate of both men and women.