United Arab Emirates marks Emirati Women’s Day on August 28

ABU DHABI / WAM

The United Arab Emirates will celebrate Emirati Women’s Day on August 28. Observed annually, the national occasion honours the contributions and achievements of Emirati women under the support of the wise leadership.
This year’s celebration will be held under the theme “Hand in Hand, We Celebrate 50 Years”, marking the 50th anniversary of the General Women’s Union. The occasion reflects community partnership and the sustained achievements of Emirati women over the past five decades.
This year’s theme carries profound national and social meaning, symbolising the participatory spirit that defines the UAE’s approach to women’s empowerment. It also affirms the need to continue advancing through collaboration across all segments of society.
Emirati women play a vital role in entrepreneurship, with more than 25,000 businesswomen owning over 50,000 commercial licences and investments exceeding AED60 billion.
HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak “The Mother of the Nation”, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), is recognised as the pioneer of the women’s movement in the UAE. She established the General Women’s Union with a vision that embraces modernity while safeguarding Arab and Islamic traditions.
On this occasion, Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of GWU, said that Emirati Women’s Day is a cherished national occasion to recall the accomplishments of Emirati women, who have proven over fifty years their ability to lead, give, and contribute effectively to the nation’s development journey.
The GWU Secretary-General told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the occasion embodies the leadership’s vision, affirming that empowering women is essential to advancing sustainable development and fostering a cohesive and prosperous society.
She added that the efforts of H.H. Sheikha Fatima have been pivotal in empowering Emirati women and strengthening their role across social, educational and economic fields, underscoring the importance of cooperation between society and institutions in shaping a national model that values women’s contributions to nation-building.
Noura Al Suwaidi noted that Emirati Women’s Day embodies half a century of achievements that shaped the history of Emirati women and laid strong foundations for genuine national partnership.
Building on this legacy, the UAE ranked 13th globally and 1st regionally in the 2025 UNDP Gender Equality Index. Key milestones included the 2018 Cabinet approval of the first legislation on equal pay, notably Federal Decree-Law No. 27 of 2018 on equal pay for men and women in the federal government, and Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations in the private sector, which mandates equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.
The launch of the UAE National Strategy for Women Empowerment 2023–2031 built on these achievements in national development. Women now hold 50 percent of the Federal National Council seats, placing the UAE among the top countries for gender-balanced parliamentary representation.
Currently, 26 percent of ministerial positions are occupied by women, who lead key portfolios including education, climate change, community development and family affairs. Emirati women also represent 71 percent of UAE nationals in the public and private sectors, 63 percent of leadership roles in the federal government, and 13 percent of the country’s ambassadors abroad.
Emirati women play a vital role in entrepreneurship, with more than 25,000 businesswomen owning over 50,000 commercial licences and investments exceeding AED60 billion.
In education and technology, women account for 46 percent of STEM graduates in the UAE and comprise 50 percent of the national workforce in the space sector. Women also represent 55 percent of the overall labour force.
Today, the UAE stands as a global model in protecting women’s rights, backed by supportive legislation, including the Constitution, federal laws, ministerial and local decrees that ensured equal opportunities for men and women, alongside national mechanisms and support entities, which have played a key role in overcoming challenges to women’s empowerment across various sectors.
The UAE’s efforts in empowering women have extended globally, with the nation launching several initiatives, including the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Women, Peace and Security initiative. This initiative underscores the UAE’s commitment to enhancing women’s roles in fostering dialogue, peace, security and development, both nationally and globally.
Other notable efforts include the Arab Women’s Economic Empowerment Observatory, adopted at the 2023 Leaders’ Summit as a platform for Arab countries to support women’s entrepreneurship and expand partnerships across the Arab world, and the Sheikha Fatima Initiative to Empower Rural Women in Africa in the agricultural sector, among other exceptional programmes.