The UAE has highlighted the importance of women empowerment and gender equality in advancing the progress toward the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda during the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York.
The delegation showcased its national model for women empowerment, gender equality and support for mothers and children as a foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.
The UAE’s national policies and laws, such as Equal Pay Law and the Constitution guaranteeing equal opportunities for both genders, have increased the number of women in leadership and decision-making positions.
The women now represent 50 percent of Federal National Council members and 26 percent of Cabinet members. Women also constitute 46 percent of STEM graduates in the UAE and 80 percent of the scientific leadership team in the Emirates Mars Mission.
The UAE delegation also highlights its role in supporting women empowerment globally through initiatives such as Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak’s Women in Peace and Security Initiative.
The National Secretariat on SDGs and the UAE Consulate General in New York City hosted a roundtable on ‘Accelerating Innovation in Promoting Gender Equality to Continue Achieving Sustainable Development in the Post-2030,’ focusing on bridging the digital gender gap, transforming the care economy, and empowering women in leadership.
The discussion featured Savannah Mazhya, Minister of Information and Communications Technology in the Kingdom of 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.
Lootah commented that, “Over decades of sustainable development centered on the family, the UAE has made community empowerment both the finish line and the starting point of development. This approach is what the UAE is ready to share with everyone around the world. Through the UAE’s participation in HLPF, and through the delegation’s meetings and partnerships, we are sharing knowledge gained in empowering society to ensure inclusive development.”
Furthermore, the UAE delegation underscored the country’s experiences in establishing the National Committee on SDGs in 2017 during its participation in an event by the Government of Qatar to launch the agenda of the second edition of the Global Summit for Social Development, which is scheduled to take place from 4-6 November in Doha.
