The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) revealed that women's participation in the private sector grew by 23.1 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.
The UAE continuously works towards promoting gender balance, empowering women in all fields, enhancing the work environment, providing equal opportunities for women in various sectors, and developing and strengthening the role of women as key partners in building the future.
Legislation in the UAE prohibits gender discrimination in the workplace, and these laws encourage more women to join the workforce.
Equal pay for similar jobs is a prominent aspect of respecting human rights in the UAE, demonstrating its commitment to achieving gender balance, which has seen significant leaps in recent years.
The UAE Labour Law (Regulation of Labour Relations Law) stipulates that female employees should receive the same salary as male counterparts for the same job. The law ensures the protection of women's rights and their enjoyment of equal job opportunities with men, enhancing the country's competitiveness regionally and globally in terms of gender equality across various levels and fields.
In addition to wage equality, the labour law stipulates the elimination of all restrictions imposed on women working during night hours and in challenging sectors such as mining, construction, manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and transportation. This allows women the right to work in these industries.
The law also prohibits employers from terminating the service of a female employee or giving her notice due to pregnancy. Furthermore, the Labor Regulation Law prohibits discrimination among employees in terms of job acquisition and promotion, as well as gender discrimination in jobs with identical job responsibilities.
As part of efforts to empower women in the economic sphere and support their participation in the workforce, the law prohibits all forms of discrimination in the workplace not only based on gender but also on the grounds of race, colour, national origin, or social origin.
The UAE adopted the Gender Balance Strategy 2022-2026, which is based on a clear future vision aiming to make the UAE a global model for gender balance. The strategy includes four pillars and main objectives: economic participation and entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, well-being and quality of life, protection, and global leadership and partnerships. The goal is to transition from closing gender gaps and exploring best practices to positioning the country as an exporter of best gender balance practices, focusing on the post-global competitiveness phase.
The leadership's support for Emirati women, along with its belief in the importance of their role as key partners in development and shaping the future, has led the UAE to achieve a prestigious position in international reports and global competitiveness indicators related to women's empowerment and gender balance.
According to the "Gender Equality Index 2022" issued by the United Nations Development Programme, the UAE ranked first in the Arab world and eleventh globally. The country also topped the Middle East and North Africa region for the third consecutive year in the "Women, Business, and the Law 2023" report by the World Bank.
This report monitors governments' efforts worldwide regarding the enactment of laws and regulations aimed at economically protecting and empowering women.
Additionally, the UAE led Arab countries in the "Gender Gap Report 2022" released by the World Economic Forum. In 2022, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation won the fifth edition of the Gender Balance Index at the federal government level for having the best initiative supporting gender balance.
This recognition is granted for outstanding practices, projects, policies, and legislation that promote gender balance. The winning initiative was the “Federal Law on the Unified General Rules of Labour in the United Arab Emirates”.
The enactment of this law contributed to supporting gender balance and equal opportunities in the workplace, both in the public and private sectors. It unified maternity and paternity leaves, ensured equal pay for similar work, and prohibited discrimination in all its forms. These measures contribute to supporting sustainable development goals and enhancing economic growth.
WAM
