Watch: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid honors winners of fifth Gender Balance Index

Sheikh Mohammed said: “We are very proud of the vital contributions of Emirati women in all sectors. We continue to support women and ensure their participation in shaping the future of the country. Our constitution and regulations guarantee equal opportunities, rights and responsibilities. “We are committed to investing in our human resources, as they are a winning bet for the future.”

Sheikh Mohammed honored the winners of the fifth edition of the Gender Balance Index for the Federal Government for 2023. The awards were given in three categories: ‘Best figure to support gender balance’, ‘Best federal entity to support gender balance’ ‘gender balance’ and the ‘Best Initiative to Support Gender Balance’.

Sheikh Mohammed honored Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, who was named the “Best Figure for Supporting Gender Balance.”

He also honored the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, winner in the category of ‘Best Federal Entity to Support Gender Balance’ (at the ministry level), and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, winner of the UAE Gender Balance Seal.

Sheikh Mohammed honored the Emirates School Establishment, the winner in the category of ‘Federal Entity Supporting Gender Balance’ (at entity level), and the Director General of the Emirates School Establishment, who received the Seal UAE Gender Balance Board on behalf of Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment.

Sheikh Mohammed also honored the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization, winner in the ‘Best Initiative to Support Gender Balance’ category for ‘Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2021 on General Uniform Labor Standards in the United Arab Emirates ‘, and Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Abdulmanan Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, who received the Honorary Seal.

Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Presidential Court, said that the tireless efforts of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the Nation”, President of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), have contributed significantly to promote gender balance in the country. Her Highness’s support has enabled Emirati women to take on crucial roles as leaders, decision-makers and role models and has raised the UAE’s global ranking in the field of gender balance.

Sheikha Manal congratulated the winners of the fifth edition of the Gender Balance Index and praised their efforts and initiatives that contributed to the achievement of national objectives and the UAE Gender Balance Council’s strategy aimed at reducing the gender gap in various sectors.

The first category award is presented to personalities who have played an exceptional role in promoting gender balance and providing equal opportunities to men and women, positively contributing to the UAE’s gender balance profile and its ranking in the global competitiveness indices in the region and around the world.

Sheikha Lubna was chosen as the winner in this category due to her active and influential role in women empowerment. She is the first woman appointed as a minister in the United Arab Emirates and has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of State for Tolerance, Minister of State for International Cooperation at Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Minister of Economy and Minister of Commerce Abroad. and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sheikha Manal highlighted that the support of the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, has played a pivotal role in propelling the nation to achieve high rankings in global gender balance indices. The UAE ranked first regionally in the “Gender Equality Index” issued by the United Nations Development Programme, the “Women, Business and Law Report” issued by the World Bank and the “ Gender Gap Report” issued by the World Economic Forum.

The second category of the Index focuses on recognizing the best federal government entity that supports gender balance. Assessment in this category is based on the government’s national indices, which cover three pillars: decision-making, education and experience, and the development of an attractive work environment characterized by flexible work schedules, remote work options and other initiatives, laws and policies. .

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (at the level of ministries) and the Emirates Schools Establishment (at the level of agencies and institutions) won the award in this category. They were awarded the Gender Balance Seal based on the results of the surveys and the practical steps and actions taken by each of them in this field.

The third category, dedicated to ‘Best Initiative to Support Gender Balance’, is awarded to an initiative that has demonstrated exceptional efforts in promoting best practices, projects, policies and legislation that support gender balance.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization obtained the seal for the best initiative for the ‘Federal Law on Unified General Labor Standards in the United Arab Emirates’. The enactment of this law has contributed to supporting the achievement of gender balance and equal opportunities in the work environment in the public and private sectors. It has achieved this by unifying parental, maternity and paternity leaves, guaranteeing equal remuneration for equivalent work and prohibiting discrimination in all its forms. The provisions of the law contribute to further promoting sustainable development and economic growth in the UAE.

Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, highlighted the role played by the Gender Balance Index in recent years in motivating government entities and the private sector to implement policies and initiatives that support gender balance in the work environment, which in turn contributed to improving the UAE’s global competitiveness. She noted that the Index is one of the important initiatives launched by the Council at the local level in cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.

Mona Al Marri added that the UAE Gender Balance Council, chaired by Sheikha Manal, has achieved notable successes since its establishment eight years ago. The Council has effectively established and strengthened important global partnerships with numerous countries and international organizations recognized for their expertise in gender balance policies. Additionally, the Council has initiated collaborative projects that have yielded exceptional results in raising awareness of gender balance both locally and globally.