The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stressed the vitality of women’s empowerment and gender equality in achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, as it participated in the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development held in New York.
At the global gathering, the UAE delegation presented the country’s homegrown model for women’s empowerment, underlining the government’s long-standing commitment to gender equality and family support. The model, they said, is built around a robust system that uplifts women and strengthens families, seen as the core unit of society, with the aim of ensuring human, social, and economic sustainability.
During the session, the UAE’s representatives pointed to a combination of national legislation and progressive policies that have helped to elevate women into positions of leadership and authority. These include constitutional guarantees for equal opportunities between men and women, and the introduction of the Equal Pay Law.
The delegation spotlighted key achievements in recent years, such as the fact that women now make up 50% of the Federal National Council, and 26% of the UAE Cabinet. Furthermore, women account for 46% of STEM graduates across the country, and form 80% of the scientific leadership team on the Emirates Mars Mission.
The UAE also drew attention to its international efforts to promote women’s empowerment, citing initiatives like Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak’s Women in Peace and Security Initiative. In their concluding remarks, the delegates reiterated the country’s readiness to share its experiences and insights with the international community as part of the broader effort to advance gender equality in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Focusing on Digital Inclusion and Innovation
Alongside the main forum, the UAE Consulate General in New York and the National Secretariat on SDGs co-hosted a roundtable discussion titled ‘Accelerating Innovation in Promoting Gender Equality to Continue Achieving Sustainable Development in the Post-2030’. The event focused on closing the digital gender gap, rethinking the care economy, and promoting women’s leadership. Attendees explored actionable solutions and scalable strategies to progress on SDG 5: gender equality.
Among the speakers at the session were Savannah Mazhya, Minister of Information and Communications Technology in Eswatini and Chair of the Global Council for SDG 5; Abdulla Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange and Chair of the National Committee on SDGs; and Dr Manal Taryam, CEO and Board Member of Noor Dubai Foundation. Other participants included Chelsea Molden, Executive Director of the Public Policy Lab; Stephanie Sirota from RTW Investments in Life Sciences; and Andrew Billo, Head of Partnerships at the UN Initiative to End Violence Against Women and Girls.
Knowledge Sharing and Regional Collaboration
As part of its broader engagement at the HLPF, the UAE also contributed to a session hosted by the Government of Qatar. During this event, the delegation shared the country’s experience of launching the National Committee on SDGs in 2017, while also introducing the agenda for the upcoming Global Summit for Social Development, which is set to take place in Doha from 4–6 November.
This collaboration is part of a wider regional and international push by the UAE to promote sustainable development goals, with women’s empowerment being a central theme.
Global Commitment Through BRICS Platform
Further cementing its global engagement, the UAE’s Gender Balance Council recently took part in the BRICS Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting held in Brazil. The gathering addressed key topics including women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, digital safety, and climate-related action.
On the occasion, Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, praised Brazil’s leadership of the BRICS group and affirmed the UAE’s commitment to working with international partners to advance women’s rights and opportunities.
With its presence at the HLPF and participation in international platforms like BRICS, the UAE is positioning itself as a global contributor to gender equality initiatives, while also showcasing the tangible results of its domestic policies and inclusive development strategies.
