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UAE mandates private firms to reserve board seats for women

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The UAE government portal states that women are disproportionately represented in the labour market, in specialised professions, and in emerging fields

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has demonstrated its commitment to gender equality in leadership by requiring private joint-stock companies to set aside a minimum of one board seat for women.

This new directive from the Ministry of Economy will go into effect when the current board terms end and will support the Gulf country’s objective of improving its competitiveness in the global market.

This programme demonstrates the leadership’s commitment to achieving sustainable development objectives and empowering women.

The ministerial resolution expands upon a similar mandate that was introduced for public joint-stock companies in 2021 and governs the governance and operations of private joint-stock companies. This previous action has improved institutional performance and economic outcomes, which has produced favourable results.

According to a recent announcement from the United Nations’ Development Programme, the UAE has significantly improved from 49th in 2015 and 11th in 2022 to 7th place in the 2024 Gender Inequality Index.

At the 68th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, this declaration was made. The Gulf nation established the Gender Equality Council in 2015 as a federal organisation with the responsibility of creating and carrying out the gender equality programme.

The council’s goal is to eliminate gender disparities in all governmental domains and establish the United Arab Emirates as a global leader in equality. With 50% of posts in the Federal National Council held by women, the UAE also leads the globe in women’s parliamentary representation.

The UAE government portal also states that women are disproportionately represented in the labour market, in specialised professions, and in emerging fields.

Under the direction of the UAE’s leadership, the nation is dedicated to boosting women’s contributions in a variety of fields, especially economic development, according to Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al-Marri.

“The decision will reinforce the UAE’s vision to enhance gender balance, empowering women in the business sector and increasing their presence in leadership and decision-making roles,” he was quoted as saying by the UAE’s official news agency.

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