Protections
PROTECTION AS A FOUNDATION FOR PARTICIPATION
Safety is essential to empowerment
The UAE is building proactive, rights-based systems that protect individuals across physical, professional, and digital spaces. Through workplace standards, legal safeguards, and inclusive design, the Council promotes a national culture of dignity, security, and equal opportunity.
KEY REFORMS, INITIATIVES AND OUTCOMES
Workplace Protection from Discrimination
The law prohibits gender-based discrimination in hiring, promotion, and workplace treatment. It ensures men and women have equal opportunities in employment, creating safe and inclusive professional environments for all.
Protection from Violence and Abuse
Women are protected from all forms of domestic violence, including emotional, physical, and economic abuse, under federal law. GBC has worked to strengthen these protections by advocating for survivor-centred legislation and support systems.
Access to Justice for Survivors
The UAE has strengthened its legal framework to ensure survivors of gender-based violence can report abuse safely and confidentially, with access to protection orders, legal aid, and cross-sectoral support systems.
Enhanced Penalties for Gender-Based Crimes
The UAE Criminal Code imposes harsher penalties for crimes such as sexual assault, harassment, and kidnapping.
Policy Guidelines on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
Co-developed by GBC in collaboration with Kearney, these policy guidelines provide a unified national framework for technology companies to address online and digitally enabled gender-based violence, setting the standards for prevention as well as protection.
Social Protection and Economic Assistance
Eligible individuals, including vulnerable women, can access government financial assistance, housing, and services. GBC supports the development of inclusive eligibility frameworks, while employment readiness programmes are mandated for those able to enter or re-enter the workforce.
Gender-Inclusive Protections
Discrimination on the basis of gender is prohibited across public, private, and digital spaces. Online harassment, blackmail, and unauthorised sharing of private content are criminalised with strict financial and legal penalties.
Anti-Trafficking and Victim Support
Victims of human trafficking benefit from expanded legal definitions, protection procedures, and access to rehabilitation services, including shelter, medical care, and legal aid.
Protections for Incarcerated Women
Correctional institutions must provide gender-specific facilities, including female staff, maternity care, and safe childbirth in hospitals, with provisions reflecting wider national efforts to integrate gender sensitivity into correctional and judicial systems.
Discover the laws that uphold women’s rights in the workplace, community, and beyond