In the UAE, a remarkable 61% of STEM graduates are Emirati women, far exceeding the Arab world average, as highlighted by Unesco. This underscores the UAE’s dedication to women’s empowerment.
Amal Al Teneiji, Director of Strategic Planning & Excellence at the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC), stated, “Our leadership has consistently launched strategic initiatives that promote Emirati women’s participation across sectors like technology, AI, healthcare, and tourism.”
The strong presence of Emirati women in research and medicine is due to various initiatives by the UAE Government.
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The National Policy for Empowerment of Emirati Women (2023-2031) aims to ensure fair participation across all sectors and improve women’s quality of life.
The UAE Gender Balance Council plays a crucial role, encouraging Emirati women’s active participation in nation-building. Legislation for equal pay and efforts to place women in high-growth roles make the private sector appealing for future female talent.
The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, through its Nafis programmes, sustains this progress, empowering Emirati women to lead.
Al Teneiji noted, “Their expanding impact across industries is not just a national success story; it shows what focused policy and real opportunity can achieve.”
SDG 5 Pledge: Promoting Gender Balance in the Private Sector
The UAE Gender Balance Council’s commitment extends to the private sector through the SDG 5 Pledge, launched in 2020. This initiative provides a framework for private companies to advance gender balance, aligning with the UN’s fifth Sustainable Development Goal. The pledge aims for 30% women’s representation in management roles by 2025 and 2028 for different cohorts.
With 71 signatories from leading private companies, the pledge has increased corporate awareness of gender balance, encouraging inclusive policies and fostering diversity and inclusion in organizational culture. The Council supports these companies with workshops, training, development programs, and networking platforms.
Collaboration between the UAE Gender Balance Council and Nafis amplifies the Pledge’s impact by aligning with national programs supporting Emirati talent. This partnership offers access to a database of female talent, advanced training, and accelerates women’s leadership roles.
The SDG 5 Pledge’s effectiveness is measured using indicators like growth in women’s leadership roles, improved hiring and promotion rates, adoption of flexible work policies, and integration of gender balance into HR strategies.
The SDG 5 Pledge platform allows signatories to provide annual data updates, offering real-time progress insights and recognizing outstanding organizations through the forthcoming SDG 5 Pledge Awards.
Nafis Programme Impact: Empowering Women Across Sectors
Recent data from Nafis shows the programme’s significant impact on empowering women in the UAE job market. In 2025, the top sectors for female beneficiaries include construction (20.7%), wholesale and retail (17.3%), and administrative services (13.1%), highlighting diverse opportunities.
Graphic by Hind Aldah
The programme consistently shows a higher proportion of female beneficiaries compared to males, with female representation rising from 69.7% in 2022 to 73.1% in 2025, emphasizing its effectiveness in fostering women’s workforce participation.
