UAE Ranks Seventh on List of Nations Tackling Gender Inequality

A new UN report has put the UAE at the forefront of promoting equality globally. This report, which assesses the efforts of nations to combat gender inequality, ranks the UAE as the seventh-best in the world. Ranked first is Denmark, followed by Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands.

In response to the report, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, praised the efforts of the UAE Gender Balance council, which is led by his daughter Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed.

The announcement comes after a number of policy initiatives, programs, and political efforts to increase women’s representation in Emirati leadership. These include a recent drive to increase the number of women in the industrial sector and committing over USD 15 million to UN Women in 2023. The UAE ranks second in the world for its percentage of female parliament members (50%), just behind New Zealand (whose parliament is 50.4% female)  The country is currently serving on the UN Women executive board.  

The UAE is also first in the region on the Gender Inequality Index, a UN index that reflects gender imbalances in a society’s reproductive health sector, politics, education, and labour market. The UAE’s number one ranking indicates that it scores the best in these areas out of all the countries regionally.