Mohammed bin Rashid: Gender balance towards a more prosperous future in a new stage of development under the leadership of Mohamed bin Zayed

His Highness honours the winners of the Gender Balance Index
Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, a role model in supporting gender balance

Mohammed bin Rashid:
•    We are proud of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak as a global role model in supporting and empowering women
•    The UAE has made significant leaps in global gender balance indicators, and we look forward to being the leader as the country that makes the impossible possible
•    Women have effectively contributed to the UAE’s journey in the past fifty years and are a major player in shaping the future

Manal bint Mohammed:
•    With the support of the leadership and the efforts of Sheikha Fatima, the UAE has become a regional and global model for gender balance
•    The new strategic plan includes numerous initiatives that will enable a new stage in achievements and enhance women's participation in economic life

Mona Al Marri:
•The Gender Balance Index has been an important incentive for both public and private sectors to implement policies and initiatives that support gender balance in the work environment
• The Ministry of Culture and Youth and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports are the entities most supportive of gender balance
•The Ministry of Community Development wins ‘Best Gender Balance Support Initiative’ for its ‘Al Sana’a Initiative’

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his satisfaction in gender balance progress in the UAE and its implementation into the work culture, heralding a more prosperous future during a new stage under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.

His Highness added that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is one of the most influential advocates of women and their role as a major partner in the country’s development, advancing the approach established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the stage of empowerment led by the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan which witnessed numerous legal amendments and policies supporting gender balance.

Honouring the winners of the Gender Balance Index
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured the winners of the Gender Balance Index for the Federal Government for 2022 in its fourth edition, which include three categories: the ‘Best Figure for Supporting Gender Balance’, the ‘Best Federal Entity for Supporting Gender Balance’, and the ‘Best Initiative for Supporting Gender Balance’.

His Highness honoured Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in the category of the ‘Figure for Supporting Gender Balance’, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, received the Gender Balance medal on behalf of Her Highness.

His Highness also honoured the Ministry of Culture and Youth for the category of the ‘Best Federal Entity for Supporting Gender Balance’ (on the ministries level), and Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, received the UAE Gender Balance Seal from His Highness. His Highness honoured the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports for the category of the ‘ Federal Entity Supporting Gender Balance’ (at the level of entities), and Excellency Ali Muhammad bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Chairman of the entity, received the UAE Gender Balance Seal from his Highness. His Highness also honoured the Ministry of Community Development in the category of the ‘Best Initiative for Supporting Gender Balance’ for the "Al Sana'a" initiative, and Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Ministry of Community Development received the honorary Seal from His Highness.

Sheikha Fatima.. a leading model worldwide
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum congratulated Her Highness 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), the Mother of the Nation, praising Her Highness' support and care for women socially, educationally and professionally, which laid a strong foundation for advancing the gender balance agenda in government, stressing that Her Highness' efforts to empower women are recognised globally.

His Highness also congratulated the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Ministry of Community Development, and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports, praising their efforts in achieving impressive milestones that led to this recognition and their effective contributions in providing a work environment that supports gender balance and enhances the UAE's global competitiveness.

His Highness expressed his pride in the successes of Emirati women in various sectors and their positive impact on the development process over the past fifty years and their role in its ambitious visions to become the best country in the world across all fields.

His Highness praised the efforts of the UAE Gender Balance Council, headed by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, in embedding a gender balance culture into institutional work through impactful initiatives, which includes the implementation of the Gender Balance Index.

The support of our leadership and Sheikha Fatima
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, praised the support provided by the wise leadership and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to women in the UAE and their constant motivation, stressing that it represents an incentive to continue the journey towards more successes both at home and abroad. This journey will include new initiatives that the Council intends to launch in the next phase, as part of its strategic plan 2022-2026 approved by the UAE Cabinet in March under the chairmanship of His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which aims to progress the UAE’s leadership and global influence in this field.

Commendations
Her Highness extended her congratulations and blessings to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for receiving the award for the ‘Best Figure for Supporting Gender Balance’, praising Her Highness' efforts and continuous support for women over the past fifty years, which led to progress in the field and equal opportunities in the UAE, as reflected in the country’s advanced position in global indicators.

Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also congratulated the winners of the fourth edition of the Index, praising their efforts and initiatives that contributed to achieving national goals and the UAE Gender Balance Council’s strategy aimed at reducing the gender gap in various sectors of the country, calling on both the public and private sectors to continue to enhance the gender supportive work environment and make new leaps in this field.

The ‘Best Figure Supporting Gender Balance’.. Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak
The first category is granted to figures who support gender balance and have played an influential role in achieving gender balance and offering equal opportunities to men and women, positively contributing to the UAE’s gender balance profile and global competitiveness reports in the region and worldwide.
Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak was chosen for this category, in light of her efforts and influential role in supporting women over the past fifty years, especially in closing the education gap and enabling the UAE to rank first worldwide in that respect, as well as the role of Her Highness in the economic empowerment of Emirati women.

The second category
The second category is allocated to the best federal government entity that supports gender balance, and the evaluation of this category is linked to the government’s national indicators, which are based on three pillars: decision-making, education and experience, and the work environment to become a more attractive environment characterised by flexible working hours, work from home, nurseries in the workplace, and other initiatives, legislation and policies.

The Ministry of Culture and Youth (at the level of ministries) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports (at the entities level) won the award in this category, and were awarded the Seal based on the results of the surveys and the practical steps and actions taken by each in this field.

Best Supportive Initiative for the Ministry of Community Development
The third category, dedicated to the best initiative supporting gender balance, is awarded to best practices, projects, policies and legislation supporting gender balance. The Ministry of Community Development won the Best Initiative award, for the ‘Al-Sana'a initiative’, a development project that supports productive Emirati families and the people of determination, enabling them to achieve economic and social stability through innovative technical and marketing programmes to establish micro-enterprises.

Evaluation
Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said that the activities of the entities participating in the Gender Balance Index at the federal government level were evaluated according to the measurement framework and approved standards and designed based on best international practices. Her Excellency added that the Index aims to enhance the status of women and their participation in various developmental work streams and encourages coordination between government institutions to reach the desired goals in gender balance.

Her Excellency added that dex is one of the initiatives that the UAE Gender Balance Council has worked on, in cooperation with the Prime Minister's Office, to consolidate the concept of gender balance and embed it into institutional work, as this national indicator represented an important incentive for both public and private sectors to implement supportive policies and initiatives.