The UAE Gender Balance Council
Established in 2015, the UAE Gender Balance Council is a federal entity responsible for developing and implementing the gender balance agenda in the United Arab Emirates. The Council is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Council’s objectives are to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors, enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality and achieve gender balance in decision-making positions, as well as promote the UAE’s status as a benchmark for gender balance legislation. It also launches pioneering initiatives and projects to enhance gender balance throughout the country and contribute to achieving the Council’s vision of positioning the UAE as a world model for gender balance.
Vision:
The UAE is a working model for gender balance.
Objectives:
  • Reduce the gender gap across all government sectors in the UAE
  • Enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender balance
  • Promote gender balance in decision-making positions
  • Establish the UAE as a role model for gender balance
  • Promote the UAE’s status as a benchmark for gender balance legislation
Responsibilities of the Council:
  • Reviewing current legislation, policies and programs, and proposing or updating new legislation or programs in order to achieve gender balance in the workplace.
  • Recommending the implementation of laws, regulations, resolutions and international agreements related to gender balance, in order to ensure non-discrimination against women.
  • Reviewing and monitoring international competitiveness reports, and developing programs, plans and policies aimed at reducing the gender gap in the workplace.
  • Proposing gender balance indexes and submitting them to the Council of Ministers for approval, in addition to seeking to promote the implementation of said indexes in the country in coordination with the local authorities.
  • Coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent the United Arab Emirates in international circles, and proposing cooperation agreements and joint programs.
  • Creating a database related to gender balance in the workplace.
  • Submitting regular reports to the Council of Ministers pertaining to the achieved progress, initiatives, projects and requirements of the Council in order to achieve its goals.
  • Any other tasks related to the Council’s objectives, commissioned by the Council of Ministers.