The UAE is top ranking in the Middle East and North Africa region in the World Bank’s newly released 2021 Women, Business and the Law (WBL) report.
The country’s ratings in the World Bank report saw a significant leap, due to ground-breaking legislative reforms carried out in recent years.
The UAE’s scores in the Women, Business and the Law report saw marked increases as a result of legislative reforms related to women’s economic participation, enacted over the last three years. Considered one of the most significant global indexes that analyses laws and regulations affecting women’s economic inclusion in 190 economies, the annual report is composed of eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they begin, progress through, and end their careers.
The indicators are: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension.
H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, 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), expressed her pride in the UAE’s top ranking in the Middle East and North Africa region in the World Bank’s report.
She praised the efforts of the UAE Gender Balance Council’s work team, led by H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, which accomplished a remarkable achievement after it took a new step on the road for development and leadership of Emirati women throughout the world.
Sheikha Fatima expressed her gratitude and pride to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for their support of sustainable development for women, which resulted in the creation of Emirati women cadres capable of being true supporters of the nation, hand in hand with their male partners.
“We are proud of the successive achievements of Emirati women in all fields, locally, regionally and internationally, to culminate half a century of giving, building and development at various levels, since the founding of the state until now, thanks to the enlightened vision set out by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which ensured the UAE’s international standing, especially in the field of achieving gender balance,’’ noted H.H. Sheikha Fatima.