The debut of the Gender Balance Guide by the UAE, the first of its kind in the world, occurs at an opportune moment in the nation’s development, with its increasingly conducive environment for women empowerment. The Gender Balance Guide, established by the UAE Gender Balance Council, in coordination with the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), thus gains synergy from the start. There are already strong numbers that evidence the contributions of women to the professional sphere in the UAE — 66 per cent of the workforce in the country’s public sector comprises women, 27 per cent of the UAE Cabinet is peopled by women with eight women ministers, and 46.6 per cent of the UAE’s labour force is female — the second highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The issue of workplace gender parity, encompassing male-female employment ratio as well as pay scales, benefits and privileges, is a burning issue globally. For example, OECD countries reveal a gender pay gap in favour of men. On an average, women in OECD earn 15.1 per cent less than men. A study in the United Kingdom found that an average woman working full-time from age 18 to 59 would lose £361,000 (Dh1.78 million) in gross earnings over her working life, compared to an equivalent male while in Australia, the full-time average weekly ordinary earnings for women are 16.0 per cent less than that of men, according to Gender Workplace Equality Agency. Other studies point to the fact that with current efforts, developed nations could reach workplace gender equality in 50 years.
On the other hand, numerous studies have also established the benefits of a balanced workforce. For example, in a UK McKinsey study, companies across all sectors with the most women on their boards of directors were found to significantly, and consistently, outperform those with no female representation.
The message therefore is, and has been, clear — contributions of women greatly benefit nations in achieving objectives. The UAE’s initiative, underlined by its determination to have women and men share the platform equally, distinguishes itself for its clarity of purpose and supportive strength. Both public and private companies can reset policies and work systematically towards achieving gender balance, with three levels of acclaim available to them — gold, silver and bronze. While inducing competitiveness, the guide also promotes cohesion as best practices can be shared with industry peers, leading to a cascading effect that actualises the objectives of UAE’s Vision 2021.
