UN Women: UAE’s new regulations allow women to get more rights and protection
The UN Women, the United Nations entity committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women, stated that latest procedures taken by the UAE have aided women to obtain more rights and well protection.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day that is celebrated in the entire world on 8th March, UN Women said in a statement issued to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE has made significant strides towards equality and leads the MENA region in women’s empowerment, particularly given the recent legislations that offered women more rights and better protection.
Partnership with UAE Government
In the same context, Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director, UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said in the statement that the UN Women is proud of its longstanding relationship with the UAE Government, the General Women’s Union led by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak [Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF)] and her remarkable vision for women’s advancement across all sectors.
He also said: On International Women’s Day, we commend this partnership as we jointly seek to push the gender equality agenda forward.
UAE’s latest legal procedures for women
In fact, the UAE and between 2019 and 2020, approved certain 11 new laws and legislative modifications to reinforce women’s rights and guarantee their complete empowerment.
About the political participation, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan published a resolution in 2019 to increase the representation of women in the Federal National Council (FNC) to 50 percent during the 2019 elections.
Moreover, the UAE released Federal Decree-law Number 6 of 2020, modifying certain provisions of the Federal Law Number 8 of 1980 about regulation of work with giving the female employees in the private sector an extra five-day paid permission to the already 45-day maternity leave. Fathers would also get a five-day paid leave.
It should note that the UAE became the first Arab country to give parental leave to private sector employees. Besides, the UAE also released the Decree of Federal Law Number 6 for 2020 that instructing equal salaries for women and men in the private sector, if they implement the same work, or another of equal value.
President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan permitted the Federal Law-Decrees to change the Penal Code. According to the UAE’s firm commitment to protecting women’s rights, changes to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedural law have canceled the article giving reduced punishment in what is named honour crimes.
UN Women and UAE
Otheriwse, UN Women is backings UN Member States because they fixe global standards for reaching gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to put laws, policies, programmes and services required to guarantee that the standards are effectively applied and really benefit women and girls in the world.
The UAE possess a strong and growing relationship with UN Women, it was actually a member of the UN Women Executive Board between 2013 and 2018, and led the presidency of the Executive Council of UN Women in 2017. It also opened a contact office for the UN Women in Abu Dhabi in 2016 in partnership with the General Women’s Union.
