The Emirati Gender Balance Council recently convened a significant workshop on wage equality in collaboration with the World Bank, focusing on the essential principle of equal pay for equal work. This initiative reflects the UAE’s dedication to advancing gender equity and increasing women’s participation in economic development. The workshop is part of a broader commitment by the UAE to foster gender balance, ensuring that policies and practices are in place to support women’s empowerment and economic inclusion.
Held under the auspices of the UAE Gender Balance Center for Excellence and Knowledge Exchange, launched in 2022, this workshop aimed to bolster gender parity in workplaces across the Middle East and North Africa region. The center serves as a regional hub for consultancy, workshops, and the dissemination of best practices to improve gender balance. Participants included high-ranking officials and experts from both the public and private sectors, alongside World Bank representatives, all working toward enhancing current frameworks in wage equality.
The event followed an important Gulf dialogue at the Knowledge Exchange Workshop for GCC Countries hosted by the UAE, where policymakers and experts from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain discussed women’s economic empowerment strategies. The Equal Pay for Equal Work workshop provided an ideal platform to delve into the various dimensions of this principle, with attendees engaging in interactive sessions that explored legal frameworks, institutional approaches, and effective methodologies for addressing gender pay gaps.
Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the UAE Gender Balance Council, emphasized the country’s pioneering legislation in 2019 that set a regional precedent for pay equality in the public sector, followed by regulations in 2020 for the private sector. She stated, “Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental requirement that supports progress and sustainability.” Her Highness underscored the need for effective cooperation between the public and private sectors to ensure a consistent commitment to gender balance, a principle that has guided the UAE’s development since its inception.
As discussions continued, Sheikha Manal highlighted the necessity of fair recognition of women’s contributions across various sectors, asserting that it is essential for building robust communities and achieving a competitive economy. The focus remains on fostering workplaces where both men and women receive equitable appreciation and encouragement, thus stimulating innovation and paving the way for collective success.
During the workshop, discussions included notable contributions from representatives of the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization, along with executives from the private sector. Meanwhile, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Deputy Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council, reiterated the center’s goal of fostering wage equality through innovation and global experience exchange. She explained that stimulating dialogue between government and private sectors regarding pay equality aligns with national priorities that significantly impact the UAE’s economic growth and global competitiveness.
The workshop also provided tools to assist employers in effectively implementing equal pay for equal work, offering practical resources for objective role evaluation and equitable compensation. The UAE Gender Balance Center for Excellence and Knowledge Exchange continues to play a crucial role in translating commitments into tangible achievements through innovation and the exchange of successful practices.
Moza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council, reiterated that gender balance is not merely a principle but an integral part of the national vision. She praised the private sector’s valuable insights shared during the workshop on optimizing wage equality for equal work. She noted that the private sector is a vital component of the national economy, collaborating with the government’s vision to enhance competitiveness on a global scale.
Eva Hamel, the World Bank’s Resident Representative in the UAE and Bahrain, highlighted the critical importance of achieving wage equality, stating, “It is essential for creating fair and competitive labor markets.” She reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to providing the necessary tools and guidance to ensure that all sectors can achieve this goal, in partnership with the UAE Gender Balance Council and within the framework of the UAE Gender Balance Center for Excellence and Knowledge Exchange.