– UAE calls for global cooperation to advance gender equality at BRICS Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting
– Manal bint Mohammed: Gender equality is at the core of the UAE’s national vision and an integral part of our development strategy.
– Mona Al Marri highlighted at the conference that the UAE has made great strides in promoting women’s role in leadership and governance.
Mona Al Marri:
• The UAE is keen to exchange experiences and best practices with BRICS countries.
• The BRICS B2B track aims to connect UAE companies with those from BRICS to explore new approaches to women’s empowerment in the economic sector.
Musa Al Suwaidi:
• Global cooperation is essential to build a sustainable future where gender equality in all spheres is the norm.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on behalf of the Gender Balance Council, participated in the BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Women’s Issues held today in St. Petersburg, Russia. Themed “Women, Governance and Leadership”, the meeting provided an important platform for BRICS countries to exchange experiences and best practices on women’s empowerment. Member states also explored opportunities for cooperation to overcome challenges and promote inclusive economic and social progress.
The UAE delegation, led by Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice-Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council, highlighted the country’s achievements in promoting women’s leadership. The delegation also shared the UAE’s efforts to closely integrate gender balance into its sustainable development strategies.
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, highlighted the UAE’s commitment to international cooperation to promote gender balance in all sectors. She reiterated that gender equality is a core pillar of the UAE’s national vision and an integral part of its development strategy, and is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.
The Queen highlighted the UAE’s deep-rooted dedication to gender equality, inspired by the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the People”, who served as Chairperson of the Global Women’s Union (GWU), Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed reaffirmed this tradition and stressed that the nation’s development depends on the equal participation of men and women. The UAE has embedded this principle in its policies and societal values since its founding, she said.
The Queen further expressed her appreciation for the contributions of the UAE leadership, in particular the foresight of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, in promoting gender equality in the country and globally.
Speaking at the BRICS meeting, Her Excellency Mona Al Marri expressed her gratitude to the Russian Federation for hosting the event and commended South Africa for launching the platform on women’s issues. Highlighting the UAE’s commitment to gender equality, she said: “We have been committed to this cause both nationally and globally for many years and we believe that platforms like BRICS are crucial in accelerating this progress.”
Her Excellency further highlighted that the UAE has made great strides in advancing the role of women in leadership and governance, telling the audience at the meeting: “Nine women serve as ministers, making up almost a third of the UAE Cabinet. Women currently make up more than 50 per cent of the Federal National Assembly, demonstrating the country’s commitment to inclusive governance. 70 per cent of university graduates and 57 per cent of STEM graduates are now women. More than 34 per cent of key leadership roles in the private sector are held by women,” she told the audience.
Her Excellency also highlighted the important role that the UAE Gender Balance Council plays in driving progress, saying, “The Council plays a key role in promoting women’s leadership, advocating for policies and implementing programs that promote women’s participation in governance and leadership in both the public and private sectors. Since its inception, the Council has worked on important legal reforms to increase gender balance.” Her Excellency outlined legislation enacted in the UAE to promote gender balance, including laws requiring the provision of childcare facilities in government organizations, equal pay for equal work, and the representation of women on the boards of directors of government organizations and listed companies. Her Excellency also informed participants that the UAE has made it mandatory for private joint-stock companies to appoint at least one woman to their boards by next year.
Mona Al Marri stressed the importance of cooperation between BRICS countries, saying: “The UAE is keen to actively promote knowledge exchange towards narrowing the gender gap in leadership. By sharing best practices, we can gain insights from each other’s successes and challenges. Beyond government-to-government cooperation, we hope to leverage the BRICS B2B track to connect UAE companies with BRICS companies to explore new approaches to women’s empowerment in the economic sphere. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to make progress on these important issues.”
Her Excellency Muza Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council, stressed the crucial importance of sustained international cooperation in promoting gender balance globally, saying: “Platforms such as the BRICS Conference play a key role in strengthening global cooperation, sharing best practices and collectively promoting women’s leadership. The UAE is keen to explore joint initiatives with other countries around the world to drive meaningful progress on gender equality. By fostering an enabling environment for women in both governance and leadership, we can ensure that gender balance is deeply embedded in the fabric of societies around the world. This collaboration is essential to creating a sustainable future where gender equality becomes the norm in all sectors.”