UAE marks Emirati Women’s Day with month-long celebration

The UAE will celebrate Emirati Women’s Day tomorrow, August 28, highlighting the country’s longstanding journey of women’s empowerment and achievements, with Emirati women playing an active role in building the nation, shaping its future and embodying its values of leadership, giving and excellence.

Held this year under the theme “We Emerge Stronger and Better”, the celebration reflects the UAE’s ambition to build on its achievements and pursue further progress.

The occasion will extend nationwide from 28th August to 28th September 2026, serving as a platform for action, launching initiatives, recognising achievements and highlighting inspiring role models, while reaffirming that Emirati women’s success is an integral part of the nation’s journey.

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the Nation”, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), holds a prominent place in the journey of empowering Emirati women.

Her efforts have contributed to institutionalising women’s work since the establishment of the General Women’s Union and strengthening its presence and role in supporting women, families and society, guided by a vision that balances the requirements of modern life with preserving national identity and Arab and Islamic values.

The beginnings of organised women’s work in the UAE date back to 1973, with the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Women’s Association as the country’s first women’s association. This was followed by the establishment of women’s associations across the Emirates, culminating in the creation of the General Women’s Union in 1975 as an umbrella organisation for women’s work and a foundation for a continuing journey of empowerment and achievement.

This journey has been reinforced by a legislative and institutional framework that established the principle of equal opportunities for women and men and strengthened women’s rights in employment, education and services, culminating in legislation enshrining equal pay for both genders.

Emirati women today hold senior positions across state institutions and decision-making bodies. Women occupy 50 per cent of the seats in the Federal National Council and account for a significant proportion of Cabinet members, while holding around 63 per cent of leadership positions in the government sector.

The UAE continues to achieve leading positions in international reports. It ranked first regionally in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 and second globally in the indicator for women’s representation in parliament, according to the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking issued by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Indicators demonstrate that empowerment has moved from the policy level to tangible results, with women’s participation in the labour market increasing by 101.92 per cent between 2021 and 2025, while women accounted for 74 per cent of all beneficiaries of the Nafis programme.

In entrepreneurship, the UAE is home to more than 25,000 Emirati businesswomen who own more than 50,000 commercial licences, with total investments exceeding Dh60 billion, according to 2025 data. These figures underline women’s growing role as key partners in economic activity and opportunity creation, as well as their expanding participation in leading businesses and investments.

Emirati women have also expanded their presence in scientific and technological sectors and future-oriented fields, supported by policies, strategies and initiatives aimed at enhancing their participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, artificial intelligence, innovation, renewable energy and space.

In the space sector, women account for around 50 per cent of employees in the UAE National Space Programme and nearly 80 per cent of the Hope Probe’s scientific team.

Women represent more than 46 per cent of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and around 70 per cent of university graduates in the country, reflecting their growing presence in knowledge-based and advanced technology fields.

In cybersecurity and food security, initiatives continue to develop female talent and expand women’s participation in strategic sectors. These include the Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family and the Empowering Women Farmers initiative, alongside training programmes in artificial intelligence, programming and entrepreneurship, strengthening women’s readiness for transformations in the digital economy and labour market.

The journey of empowering Emirati women has also seen the launch of the Mother of the Nation 50:50 Vision, which aims to strengthen the UAE’s leadership in presenting a pioneering model for women in future-oriented fields and supporting their role in technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, in line with the country’s drive towards a more competitive and sustainable knowledge economy.

The UAE’s efforts have extended to supporting women globally, most notably through the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Women, Peace and Security Initiative, which aims to enhance women’s contributions to promoting a culture of dialogue and peace and advancing security, stability and development.

Continuing this role, the General Women’s Union, under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, launched the Fatima bint Mubarak Initiative for Digital Leadership for African Women, reflecting the expansion of empowerment from a national experience into an Emirati contribution to building women’s capacities and enhancing their participation in the digital economy and sustainable development.

These initiatives underscore that investing in women’s capabilities is no longer solely a national endeavour, but part of a broader vision to advance development and build societies capable of addressing future challenges by expanding opportunities for women in leadership, science, technology, the economy, climate action, peace and security.