Women’s Rights and Empowerment

Throughout the UAE’s history, women have been equal partners in the building of the nation, and have made significant contributions in social, economic and political spheres – with women’s empowerment deeply rooted in Emirati culture and society.

Equal rights for men and women are codified by the UAE Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law in terms of property rights, access to education, health, inheritance, and employment rights. This approach is anchored in the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the UAE, who was committed to advancing gender parity.

As a result of these protections and progressive policies, the UAE consistently ranks highly across international indices related to women’s rights.

The UAE ranked seventh globally and first regionally in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index 2024.

The World Bank scored the UAE’s record on women’s rights 82.5 out of 100 in 2023 – far higher than the regional average (53.2).

In 2021, the UAE was ranked first in the Women, Peace and Security Index for women’s safety in a report published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.

Legal framework

To build on the measures set out in the Constitution, the UAE has implemented a range of laws and decrees to ensure women have equal access to education, jobs, social benefits, health benefits and tenure of government offices.

A significant Cabinet Decree issued in 2018 endorsed a bill for a major piece of legislation that ensures equal pay for men and women in the public sector. This was extended to the private sector in 2020.

A Directive issued in 2019 ensures that women hold 50% of the UAE Federal National Council seats.

A Federal Decree issued in 2019 ensures equal representation in the UAE judiciary.

A Federal Decree issued in 2019 protects women against domestic violence.

The 2019 Family Protection Policy explicitly criminalises all forms of violence against women.

In 2019, a Circular passed by the UAE Central Bank ensures all banks and financial institutions provide financial services to all customers equally and without discrimination against women.

In 2021, the Securities and Commodities Authority requested all listed companies to appoint at least one woman to their board.

In 2022, the UAE government extended the maternity leave for government employees from 2 to 3 months of fully-paid leave through Federal Decree Law No. 49 of 2022 on Human Resources Law in the Federal Government. Employees in the private sector are entitled to a maternity leave of 45 days of fully-paid leave and 15 days of half-paid leave according to Federal Decree - Law No. 33 of 2021, which governs employment relations in the private sector. Additionally, in 2020, Federal Decree Law No, 6 has entitled employees of the private sector to a parental leave of 5 working days, making the UAE the first Arab country to do so.

According to Federal Decree by Law No. 24 of 2023 on Combating Human Trafficking, the UAE increased law enforcement efforts to combat human trafficking and increased protections for victims and eyewitnesses.

According to amendments Introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 18 of 2023, the husband’s approfval for abortion is no longer required in emergency cases.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979, (ratified in 2004).

ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), (ratified in 1997).

ILO Convention Concerning Night Work of Women Employed in Industry 1948 (No. 89), (ratified in 1982).

ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), (ratified in 2001).

Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, (Palermo Protocol 2000, ratified in 2009).

Milestone Achievements

The UAE has made major strides, both domestically and internationally to ensure equal rights for women. Local and federal authorities have set new standards for diversity and inclusion and continue to be at the forefront of ongoing efforts.

Political Participation

In the field of political participation, the UAE has witnessed significant developments, which include:

HE Dr Amal Al Qubaisi was elected speaker of the UAE Federal National Council in 2015 – the first female leader of a national assembly in the Arab World. Women also hold 50% of the council’s seats, one of the highest percentages globally.

The participation of women in the UAE Cabinet is among the highest in the world, with over a quarter of ministerial positions held by women.

Across government institutions, women make up two-thirds of the public sector workforce, while 30% of women are employed in leadership roles, and 15% in technical and academic roles.

Economic Empowerment

Women play an active role in the UAE’s thriving business and entrepreneurship landscape – holding equal rights to property, inheritance, and financial services. Milestone achievements in this space include:

Women own 1-in-10 private sector companies in the UAE.

Over 44,000 trade licenses were granted to women between 2018 and 2022, 58% of whom were Emirati entrepreneurs.

23,000 Emirati businesswomen run projects worth more than AED 50 billion ($13.6 billion).

To accelerate its commitment towards gender parity, the UAE Gender Balance Council recently mandated the private sector to place women in 30% of all leadership positions by 2025.

International cooperation

The UAE has always supported international efforts for women’s equal rights, working with a variety of multilateral organisations and other bodies to drive progress on this critical issue.

The UAE works closely with UN Women, having donated over $26 million to the organisation since its founding in 2010. The UAE’s financial contributions are the largest of any country in the MENA region, with the UAE being the 10th largest supporter globally.

In 2016, the UAE opened the UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC in Abu Dhabi – the first of its kind in the region.

In 2022, the UAE participated in the review of the fourth periodic report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Demonstrating its commitment to its international obligations, the UAE presented its efforts in adopting directives on the legislative, institutional, strategic and policy levels.

Government Entities

General Women's Union

The General Women's Union was established in 1975 under Federal Law No. 6 of 1974, headed by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. It is the national mechanism for women’s empowerment and leadership in the UAE. Since its establishment, the Union has contributed to policymaking, capacity-building, reviewing, and proposing legislation amendments, and formulating national empowerment strategies and supervising their implementation. The Union supported legislative reforms, backed by the National Strategy for Women Empowerment 2015-2021. It also formed a framework for all governmental institutions, the private sector, and NGOs, to provide a decent life for women and invest in their capabilities.

Gender Balance Council

Established in 2015, the UAE Gender Balance Council is a federal entity responsible for developing and implementing the gender balance agenda of the UAE. The Council is chaired by HH Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment. The Council’s objectives are to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors and achieve gender balance in decision-making positions. It also aims to enhance the UAE’s ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality and promote the UAE’s status as a benchmark for gender balance legislation. The Council 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.

The National Committee for Combatting Human Trafficking

The National Committee for Combatting Human Trafficking (NCCHT) was established in 2007 following a Cabinet decree to coordinate efforts and enforce plans to combat human trafficking at various levels in all seven emirates. The Committee includes 18 representatives from various federal and local institutions. The UAE condemns, prohibits, and penalises human trafficking through a comprehensive action plan to fight it regionally and abroad. The plan includes: prevention of human trafficking, prosecution and punishment of traffickers, protection of victims and promotion of international cooperation. Several bodies provide care and rehabilitation to victims of human trafficking, including the Abu Dhabi Center for Shelter and Humanitarian Care (Ewaa Centre), the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, and the Women’s Protection Center in Sharjah.