UAE aims to reach top 25 in gender equality by 2021

Dubai - Shaikh Mohammed assigns UAE Gender Balance Council to support the implementation of UNDP's Gender Inequality Index.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has assigned the UAE Gender Balance Council to support the implementation of the 'Gender Inequality Index' issued annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In line with the UAE's Vision 2021, the index is meant to enhance the nation's efforts to drive women's participation in the development of the UAE. Shaikh Mohammed also instructed the council to oversee the index and implementation of best practices and processes to make sure that federal entities hit their gender balance targets, with the ultimate aim of having the UAE be one of the world's top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021.
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, expressed her gratitude and praised Shaikh Mohammed's continual efforts on behalf of women in the UAE.
Shaikha Manal also noted that the 'Gender Inequality Index' will play an important role in driving further progress in the field of gender balance and contribute to the development of society, and said that the council will implement a clear framework to consolidate the efforts of various government entities and further raise the UAE's international rank in gender equality.
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice-President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, who chaired the second board meeting on behalf of Shaikha Manal, said that the implementation of the 'Gender Inequality Index' will have a significant impact on promoting gender balance in the coming years.
According to Al Marri, the UAE Gender Balance Council will immediately launch three initiatives that will support the efforts of individuals and organisations to enhance gender balance in the UAE. 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 "Best Three UAE Gender Balance Initiatives Award".
Al Marri also noted that major achievements have already taken place.
"In 2015, the UAE ranked 19th in the Global Gender Gap Report issued by the World Economic Forum, and first in the GCC and second in the Arab world in gender equality according to the Gender Inequality Index of the Human Development Report, which means that all of us have a huge responsibility to harness our efforts to enhance women's participation across all sectors, which will further raise the UAE's ranking in international gender balance reports," she added.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com