The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Abu Dhabi / WAM
The UAE Cabinet adopted a resolution to reform the UAE Gender Balance Council, which is headed by HH Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The council was formed in 2015 to promote the role of Emirati women in all areas of work, as well as the UAE’s domestic and international position.
The council also launched the UAE Gender Balance Index, and the winners of its three categories, which are “the best person supporting gender balance,” “the best federal authority supporting gender balance” and “the best gender balance initiative,” were honoured by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The council launched the index in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as the first of its kind in the world.
The council also participated in the annual meeting of the UAE Government, when it launched three national initiatives, which are creating a social gender databank, proposing a series of gender balance legislation, and promoting a network of female board members.
The UAE Cabinet recently approved a law on wages and gender equality, to confirm the rights of women as partners of men in achieving the nation’s overall development.
Since its establishment, the Council has launched specialist local and international initiatives to promote cooperation and partnerships with relevant authorities both inside and outside the country, to achieve the goal of the UAE Vision 2021 to increase the participation of women in the community and provide them with equal opportunities, along with men, to participate in the development process.
The council’s members include Mona Ghanim Al Marri, Director-General of the Media Office of the Dubai Government; Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union, GWU; Abdullah Nasser Lutah, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics; Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade and Industry; Yunus Haji Al Khouri, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance; Sana Mohammed Suhail, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development; Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Motherhood and Childhood; Hoda Al Hashimi, Assistant Director-General for Strategy and Innovation at the Office of the Prime Minister; Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman Al Nuaimi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources for International Relations, and Dr. Abdullah Hamdan Al Naqbi, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at the Ministry.