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The UAE Gender Balance Council (UAE GBC) was established in 2015 as the federal entity tasked with advancing gender balance across all sectors under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as part of the UAE’s national agenda. The Council is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The Council’s four main objectives are; reducing gender gaps across sectors, enhancing the UAE’s position in global gender balance indicators, increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making roles, and positioning the UAE as a global model for gender balance. It also works to align national legislation and policies with international best practice.

The Council’s membership includes senior representatives from key federal government entities. This ensures a coordinated, whole-of-government and multi-stakeholder approach to advancing gender balance and supporting national priorities.

The council members are:

• H.E. Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance
• H.E. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy
• H.E. Omar Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• H.E. Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs
• H.E. Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union
• H.E. Reem Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood
• H.E. Faisal Al Hammadi, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources
• H.E. Hanan Ahli, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre
• H.E. Khalid Al Harmoudi, Assistant Secretary-General for Cabinet Affairs
• H.E. Hessa Tahlak, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Community Development
• H.E. Ahmed Al Nasser, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Market Policy at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation

The Council has introduced a series of national frameworks and strategic initiatives that reinforce the UAE’s leadership in gender balance and reflect its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. These include:

• The National Gender Balance Index, which recognises progress and best practices across the federal government sector
• The SDG 5 Pledge, which supports private-sector organisations in increasing women’s representation in middle and senior management roles
• The publication of strategic guidance tools and policy frameworks, including the Gender Balance Guide (developed in partnership with the OECD), the Women on Boards Reference Guide, and the Gender-Based Violence Policy Guidelines
• The International Gender Balance Accreditation (IGBA) framework, which positions the UAE as a global reference point for measurement and certification of gender balance standards across institutions
• Capacity-building programmes and the Gender Balance Toolkit, which equip public and private sector leaders with the resources to implement gender-responsive policies and practices.

Collectively, these initiatives contribute to advancing gender balance across sectors, strengthening institutional capabilities, and enhancing the UAE’s global standing in international competitiveness indicators.

The UAE has implemented more than 20 legislative and regulatory reforms to strengthen gender balance. These include equal pay for equal value, enhanced maternity and parental leave provisions, legal protection against discrimination in the workplace, a 50% target for women’s representation in the Federal National Council, and requirements to increase women’s participation on corporate boards. These reforms also include the criminalisation of harassment and the removal of workplace restrictions, ensuring equitable participation across sectors.

The Council collaborates with leading international organisations such as the World Bank, OECD, and World Economic Forum to exchange best practices and develop global frameworks for gender balance.

It also represents the UAE in the United Nation forums including:

• CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women): The UAE submits periodic national reports outlining progress in promoting and protecting women’s rights.
• UPR (Universal Periodic Review): A United Nations Human Rights Council mechanism through which the UAE reports on national human rights achievements and areas of development, including gender-related progress.
• CSW (Commission on the Status of Women): The Council participates in global dialogues and policy discussions focused on accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Through these engagements, the UAE Gender Balance Council contributes to shaping global policy conversations, showcasing national achievements, and strengthening the UAE’s role as a leading advocate for gender balance on the international stage.

Gender balance refers to the equitable participation of the genders across sectors and at all levels of responsibility, supported by policies and systems that enable them to contribute to and benefit from national development.

The SDG 5 Pledge is a national initiative led by the UAE Gender Balance Council (GBC) to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 5, specifically Target 5.5, which focuses on ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the private sector. Pledge signatories aim to achieve at least for 30% representation of women in middle and senior management roles by 2028.

Private sector companies operating in the UAE with at least 20 mid to senior-level employees (based on the ILO’s ISCO-08 classification) are welcome to join the pledge.

By signing the pledge, companies commit to:

• Strive for at least 30% representation of women in middle and senior management roles by 2028
• Promote equal pay and fair compensation
• Ensure gender-equitable recruitment and promotion practices
• Reflect their commitment in internal policies and programmes
• Share progress data annually with GBC

N.B.: All data is kept strictly confidential

There is no cost associated with joining the pledge.

Companies interested in becoming signatories are required to fill out the online registration form:
👉 https://forms.office.com/r/cBrCtiTuhR

Pledge signatories will:

• Gain exclusive access  to training and workshops to strengthen internal capabilities
• Be part of a growing influential network of companies committed to gender balance
• Receive national recognition for meeting targets or demonstrating innovative practices
• Be featured across GBC’s platforms and communications
• Benefit from the opportunity to influence national policies on gender balance

Yes. All the information submitted is treated with the utmost confidentiality and is used solely for monitoring aggregate progress and informing national initiatives to inform policy recommendations.

As of now, 70+ UAE based companies have joined the SDG 5 Pledge. They vary between local and international companies and across numerous industries.

All Signatories are required to submit their data on the SDG 5 pledge platform as part of the agreement. This data, will then be used in an aggregated manner to support the GBC in the upcoming SDG 5 Pledge Awards.

For any questions or clarifications, please contact the Gender Balance Council team at:
📩 [email protected]

Organisations can engage through pledges, awards, partnerships, and knowledge-exchange initiatives. To explore collaboration opportunities, contact: [email protected]

Updates are regularly shared through our website and official social media channels.

• Instagram: @uaegbc
• X: @UAEGBC
• LinkedIn: UAE Gender Balance Council