The Gender Balance Council (GBC) is an Emirati federal entity responsible for developing and implementing the gender balance agenda in the United Arab Emirates. [1] [2]
The Council is chaired by Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment. [3] The Council's responsibility include reviewing current legislation, policies and programs, and proposing or updating new legislation or programs in order to achieve gender balance in the workplace reduce the gender gap across all government sectors, enhance the UAE's ranking in global competitiveness reports on gender equality and achieve gender balance in decision-making positions, as well as promote the UAE's status as a benchmark for gender balance legislation. [1] [3]
In August 2016, the GBC announced the establishment of a committee to review the law and to activate the Gender Balance Index across various sectors. [4] In August 2016, The GBC announced it would review the country's maternity law, and some private sector firms have already enhanced their policies. [5]
In 2019, the organization awarded gender balance index awards – which celebrate efforts to reduce the gender gap within the federal government and to promote equal opportunities to genders. A tweet which celebrated the awards sparked derision on the social media sites as well as media outlets, with critics noting the awards being handed all to men. According to the Gender Balance Council, the awards were handed to the entities head, which happened to be men. [6] [7] [8] [9]
The Gender Balance Council's goal is to achieve female empowerment. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] The GBC's role consists of bridging the gap between women and men and enhancing the UAE's global status in the matter. The GBC undertakes several legal roles, notably the review of legislation introduced and policies proposed in the matter of gender balance, but also seeks to balance rights like nationality rights, divorce rights, guardianship and custody rights, inheritance rights, freedom of movement, protection from child marriage, and protection from gender-based violence. [15] [16]
The hierarchy of the council as of 2019 is as follows: [17]
Demographic features of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) include population density, vital statistics, immigration and emigration data, ethnicity, education levels, religions practiced, and languages spoken within the UAE.
Politics of the United Arab Emirates take place in a framework of a federal presidential elective constitutional monarchy. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven constituent monarchies: the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.
The United Arab Emirates is a high-income developing market economy. The UAE's economy is the 4th largest in the Middle East, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$415 billion in 2021-2023.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the country's seven emirates. Founded in the 1800s as a fishing village, Dubai has emerged as a major center for regional and international trade since the early 20th century and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. It has the second-most five-star hotels in the world and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which is 828 metres (2,717 ft) tall. In the eastern Arabian Peninsula, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it is a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the vice president and prime minister. Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum as UAE vice president and ruler of Dubai following the latter's death in 2006.
The Dubai Police Force, commonly referred to as Dubai Police, is the police force of the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Police Force has 30,000 employees who are responsible for policing an area of 4,114 square kilometres and a population of over 3 million people. They come under the jurisdiction of the Ruler of Dubai.
The Constitution of the United Arab Emirates provides a legal and political framework for the operation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a federation of seven emirates. The Constitution came into effect on 2 December 1971 and was permanently accepted in July 1996. Authored by Adi Bitar, a forming judge and legal advisor, the Constitution is written in 10 parts and has 152 Articles. The United Arab Emirates celebrates the formation of the Union as National Day on 2 December.
According to Human Rights Watch, there is substantial discrimination against women in the United Arab Emirates. The status of women has improved over the years. UAE performs better on metrics of gender equality than many other states in the Gulf region, and it has been making reforms to protect women's rights and empower women in different sectors. Critics describe some of these reforms as window dressing.
Juma al Majid is an Emirati businessman, political adviser, and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Juma Al Majid Holding Group. In 2016, Al Majid was ranked among the richest Arabs in the world.
Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), informally known as Academic City, is a university town in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates along the Dubai-Al Ain Road. The project was launched in May 2006 in liaison with Dubai Knowledge Park. The regulatory authority in the DIAC is the Dubai Development Authority.
Islam is the majority and official religion in the United Arab Emirates, professed by 74.5% of the population as of 2020. 63.3% are Sunni, 6.7% are Shia, while 4.4% follow another branch of Islam. The Al Nahyan and Al Maktoum ruling families adhere to the Maliki school of jurisprudence. Many followers of the Hanbali school are found in Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Ajman. Their followers include the Al Qasimi ruling family. The other main religions present in the country include Christianity (12.9%), Hinduism (6.2%), and Buddhism (3.2%). Zoroastrians, Druze, Baha'i, Judaism, and Sikhism are also practiced by some non-nationals. 1.3% of the population is agnostic.
The Higher Colleges of Technology(HCT) (Arabic: كليّات التقنيّة العليا) is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educational institution in the country.
IEDEA is an agency, founded by Malini N. Menon, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and registered with the DMCC. The company's goal is to facilitate intra-Asian businesses through publishing initiatives, digital forums, events, and more.
Helena Dalli is a Maltese politician serving as European Commissioner for Equality since 1 December 2019. She is a member of the Labour Party.
Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy is an Emirati politician who is the Minister of State for International Cooperation in the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Mexico–United Arab Emirates relations are the diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Both nations are members of the United Nations.
The World Governments Summit is a global, neutral, non-profit organization based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It convenes annually, bringing together leaders from government, academia, and the private sector to engage in discussions on futurism, technology innovation, and other pressing issues. Since its inception in 2013, the Summit has served as a premier knowledge exchange hub, fostering conversations on future trends, challenges, and opportunities among government officials, policymakers, thought leaders, and industry experts. Featuring over 790 speakers from 150 countries and attracting more than 4,000 attendees, the Summit is organized by the World Governments Summit Organization, which is dedicated to shaping the future of governance through innovation and collaborative efforts.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives is a foundation based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), launched in 2015 by the UAE ministry of finance, consolidating some 33 philanthropic initiatives overseen in the past two decades by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
The treatment of South Asian labourers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is an ongoing issue between members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations and the wealthy oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council. The current large number of migrants from South Asia to the Persian Gulf began in the 1960s, when the oil boom in the Gulf Arab countries resulted in migrant labourers. This further increased with the development of large mega-cities. With the growth of megacities of Dubai, Doha and Riyadh, the need for construction labourers grew. Migrants from Bhutan, Nepal,, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives were contracted to develop the mushrooming skyscrapers. Many of these migrants were brought into the GCC under the kafala system, a sponsor-based system used in the GCC, which is seen by many human rights groups as highly exploitative, since their passports are confiscated and they are forced to work in low-level conditions, within cramped living quarters, for a low salary, and sometimes even without their due pay; when exploitation is brought up or exposed by media or the labourers, their employers are rarely punished.
Events in the year 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.
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