Emirati Women’s Day
On the twenty eighth of August, the United Arab Emirates celebrates Emirati Women’s Day, an occasion that recognizes and celebrates the vital role and distinguished status of Emirati women in the UAE. It also highlights their remarkable achievements, which have enabled them to attain leading positions on the global stage through their active participation and significant contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, guided by the UAE’s national objectives and the forward looking vision of its wise leadership.
The UAE has risen from 49th place to rank among the world’s top 25 countries in the Gender Inequality Index issued by the United Nations Development Programme. According to the 2025 Human Development Report, the UAE ranked 13th globally and first in the Middle East and North Africa region, marking an impressive advancement of 36 positions within a single decade.
According to the Women, Business and the Law 2025 report issued by the World Bank Group, the United Arab Emirates is among the leading countries to have introduced legislation governing remote work. The UAE has also established various mechanisms and measures to promote flexible working arrangements, providing women with greater choice in how they work and enabling them to balance their professional responsibilities with their roles as mothers and caregivers to their children.
The report also revealed that countries that legally support flexible working arrangements create favorable conditions for women to enter and remain in the workforce, while providing them with greater opportunities to enhance productivity and innovation. Flexible work arrangements are also essential for promoting economic growth, as they help women address one of the key challenges throughout their professional careers: achieving a balance between work and family life. The absence of such balance can place women under significant pressure as they strive to meet both their professional and family responsibilities.
The UAE has adopted advanced strategies to support and empower women and strengthen their ability to overcome challenges. Flexible working arrangements, introduced by a number of government and private sector entities and institutions, represent an important measure in supporting women’s continued economic and social participation. These efforts are further reinforced by the provision of childcare services and workplace nurseries, helping women balance their professional and family responsibilities.
This is not the only measure introduced by the UAE Government to support women. The Government has adopted numerous initiatives and issued supportive policies and decisions aimed at empowering women across all sectors of the economy, while also working to address and overcome many of the challenges they may face.
True empowerment cannot be achieved without effective institutional support that removes obstacles rather than creating additional ones. The adoption of flexible and remote working arrangements by institutions is therefore not merely an option, but a necessity for ensuring the sustainability of women’s participation in economic activity. It also represents a valuable investment in the nation’s development. Ultimately, empowering women means not only opening doors, providing opportunities, and harnessing their potential, but also removing the barriers they encounter throughout their journey as mothers and as an economic force contributing to the development of their society.
Women’s participation also contributes to greater competitiveness and innovation, particularly in light of advancements in technology and advanced sciences, which can enable women to achieve professional success while fulfilling their family responsibilities. Regardless of the professional achievements women may attain, their fundamental role in nurturing and raising future generations remains of paramount importance.
Fatima bint Mubarak
