UAE to review maternity law, activate Gender Balance Index

In a move to create better work environment for women, the UAE will review its maternity law, in line with best international practices. UAE's Gender Balance Council will establish a committee to review the law and to activate the Gender Balance Index across various sectors.
In response to the direction of Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Shaikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) and wife of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has directed the establishment of the committee.
Shaikha Manal said that the activation of the 'Gender Balance Index' reflects the UAE leadership's vision to enhance the role of women across all sectors of society and ensure their effective participation in the country's economic development.
"We are working to activate the 'Gender Balance Index' across various sectors to enhance the role of women, and promote gender equality through encouraging female participation. In the next phase, the UAE Gender Balance Council will take the necessary steps to ensure that men and women have equal opportunities to participate in the sustainable development of the UAE and to achieve the country's vision in terms of gender balance on a local, regional and global level," Shaikha Manal said.
While chairing the second meeting of the UAE Gender Balance Council on behalf of Shaikha Manal, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice-President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, stressed the importance of implementing a comprehensive strategy to bridge the gap between the two genders.
Mona Al Marri said that the council plans to enact its objectives through three stages, including developing legislations which help to achieve gender balance, creating equal opportunities for men and women across various sectors, and overseeing the implementation of these recommendations in the work environment to support the effective participation of women in the sustainable development process.
She also highlighted the importance of the UAE Gender Balance Council's participation in various international events, along with signing collaboration and partnership agreements with international organisations and governments that have reached the highest levels in terms of gender balance and female participation.
The UAE Gender Balance Council also discussed a number of suggestions related to enhancing the role and contribution of women to the UAE's economy through identifying and overcoming challenges, and increasing the percentage of women participating in the work environment through the introduction of part-time shifts in departments and companies. The council also reviewed the UNDP 'Gender Inequality Index' and its data, which will help to enhance the UAE's position on a regional and global scale.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, assigned the UAE Gender Balance Council to activate the implementation of the 'Gender Balance Index' earlier this year, to enhance the country's efforts in driving women's participation in national development in line with UAE Vision 2021. Shaikh Mohammed also instructed the council to oversee the Index and the implementation of best practices and processes to ensure federal institutions achieve their gender balance targets, which will support the UAE's vision to become one of the world's top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021.
Through the activation of the "Gender Balance Index", the UAE Gender Balance Council aims to support the efforts of individuals and organisations to enhance gender balance in the UAE via three initiatives. The first initiative includes documenting the efforts of supporting bodies through the UAE Gender Balance Seal; the second involves the implementation of the UAE Gender Balance Order; and the third is the establishment of the Best Three UAE Gender Balance Initiatives Award.
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• Dubai