UAE Gender Balance Council Highlights National Success at G20 Women’s Empowerment Meet

Photo : Dubai Government Media Office

The UAE Gender Balance Council took part in the second technical meeting of the G20 Women’s Empowerment Working Group, held in South Africa on May 8 and 9, 2025. This global meeting brought together countries to discuss how to improve the role of women in society, and the UAE proudly shared its national achievements in this area. The UAE delegation was led by Her Excellency Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the Council, along with Maitha Al Hashimi, Director of Strategic Studies and Legislation.

During the meeting, the UAE focused on three important areas where it has made great progress—improving financial access for women, growing support for care services like maternity and family needs, and working to prevent violence against women. The Council also spoke about how the country is helping more women take up leadership roles in different sectors.

Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said that the UAE’s goals match well with those of the G20 Women’s Empowerment Group. She shared how empowering women is not just a national goal but a part of the country’s long-term vision. She explained that the UAE supports women through strong laws, helpful programs, training, and clear targets. Because of these efforts, women now lead in many areas such as government, business, new technologies, and even environmental work. She also spoke about the importance of working with other countries, and how such global meetings give the UAE a chance to share its success stories and also learn from others.

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Guided by the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, the country remains deeply committed to building a fair society for all. Mona Al Marri said the UAE is proud of its achievements in care economy development, financial inclusion, and women’s leadership, and will continue learning and working with others to create better futures for women everywhere.

In her remarks, Her Excellency Mouza Al Suwaidi explained that the UAE has made strong efforts to raise the number of women in top positions. She noted that these changes have been possible thanks to the country’s leadership and thoughtful national policies. Today, women hold half the seats in the Federal National Council and about one-third of the cabinet positions. Women have also taken leading roles in courts, embassies, and business leadership. A key change came in 2018, when the UAE passed a law to ensure equal pay for men and women doing the same job, helping many women reach higher positions.

She also highlighted the UAE’s growing care economy, which includes maternity leave, parental leave, remote work options, and even child nurseries at workplaces. These services allow women to balance their work and family lives. In 2024, the UAE launched the Ministry of Family Affairs to strengthen family support, showing that the well-being of families is central to the country’s future.

On top of this, Mouza Al Suwaidi spoke about how the UAE continues to fight gender-based violence through strong laws and safety policies that protect women. She said the country is deeply committed to ensuring that women feel safe, valued, and free to take part in all parts of life. She ended her speech by saying the G20 meetings are a great place to exchange knowledge and bring the world together for gender equality. She said the UAE will keep working with other nations to create a world where both boys and girls grow up with equal rights, equal chances, and equal safety.

While in South Africa, Mouza Al Suwaidi also met with several key global figures to explore partnerships and share the UAE’s experience. She held talks with leaders and senior officials from South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, and the global Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative. These discussions were focused on finding ways to work together and share knowledge that could benefit women all around the world.