Emirati women .. qualitative contributions to the comprehensive development process in the UAE

Emirati women contributed to achieving qualitative achievements that added more success to the development project in the United Arab Emirates. Interest in women’s issues occupies an advanced priority, describing women as an essential and influential partner in facing challenges and achieving comprehensive development, and Emirati women formed an important part in the most prominent achievements achieved by the UAE during the year 2024 and the current year, in various fields.

The UAE witnessed the strengthening of women’s share in government formation, after the appointment of His Excellency Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family after the recent creation of the Ministry of Family.

The issuance of the national policy for promoting women’s health, one of the differences in the file of promoting women’s rights in the UAE; The new policy aims to prepare a multi -sectors national framework that guarantees women to obtain the highest levels of preventive, treatment and rehabilitation health care services throughout the stages of their life in the country.

On the economic level, the UAE continued to consolidate the role of women in the process of sustainable economic development, and the Ministry of Economy issued a ministerial decision stipulating the necessity of allocating at least one seat for women in the boards of directors of private joint stock companies in the country, after the end of the mandate of the current councils.

The decision that started to be applied in January 2025 falls within a comprehensive national strategy to empower women economically, and to enhance the diversity of the business environment.

In turn, the Ministry of Economy and the General Women’s Union concluded a memorandum of cooperation, regarding the promotion of communication and the unification of joint efforts between the two parties; To improve the file of economic empowerment, and to enhance the role of women in the process of sustainable economic development, which is one of the aspects of the Emirati model in empowering women.

For its part, the General Women’s Union launched the second batch of the women’s empowerment program for women (we build sustainability) in the context of its continuous endeavor to build the capabilities of Emirati women in various fields, including the economic field, because of its belief in its vital role in the process of economic and societal development, which is one of the basic pillars to provide the ingredients for a decent life for them.

The program targets both girls and women who want entrepreneurship and start in small and medium enterprises and existing projects and those wishing to develop their projects.

The annual meetings of the UAE government 2024 witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Council of Competitiveness of the UAE cadres and the Emirates Balance Council; Which aims to enhance cooperation and coordination between the two parties to support the participation of Emirati women in the private sector through joint initiatives and programs.

According to the latest official data during the year 2024, women in the UAE represented about 70% of university graduates in the country, 46% of the labor market in general and 68% in the government sector, and held almost a third of ministerial positions, and 50% of the seats of the Federal National Council.

During the past years, the UAE has adopted an interconnected and integrated system of national policies and strategies that seek to promote and guarantee women’s enjoyment of all rights, the most important of which are: “the national plan on women, peace and security”, “national policy for the elderly”, “National Policy for Empowerment of Women 2031”, “National Policy of Virtues”, “The National Family Policy”, and “Family Protection Policy”.

It is noteworthy that the march of the Emirati women has witnessed since the establishment of the state many different historical transformations, the most important of which is the growing representation of women in the Council of Ministers, their obtaining half of the seats of the Federal National Council “Parliament”, enhancing their presence in the business and science sector, and their participation in the most prominent strategic sectors such as space and clean energy, and allowing them to join the national service in an optional way, launching prizes documenting women’s achievements, issuing a decision By appointing the first judge in the UAE, and appointing the first appointments of the action department in the Judicial Department in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.