The UAE is reinforcing its commitment to global gender equality and women’s empowerment through a strategic partnership with UN Women, which was signed in March 2024. This partnership involves a significant investment of US$15 million over 3.5 years aimed at enhancing the status of women worldwide and supporting the UN Women Liaison Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

This collaboration underscores the UAE’s leadership in advancing gender balance, having ranked first in the Arab region for closing the gender gap and achieving the top position in the Global Gender Gap Index, as reported by the World Economic Forum. The Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) builds on the UAE’s successes in gender equality reforms and seeks to promote women-focused foreign policies globally, alongside providing high-level advisory support to improve women’s representation in diplomacy.

Furthermore, the partnership aims to accelerate women’s economic empowerment, particularly in African and Latin American countries, and enhance their roles in climate action initiatives. It supports the UN Women Liaison Office in developing gender equality efforts across the Gulf region. Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union, emphasized the vision and support of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, stating that the UAE is dedicated to integrating women’s issues into foreign policy and increasing their economic participation and roles in peacekeeping operations.

The Strategic Partnership Framework also highlights the necessity for sustainable financing and concrete commitments to tackle structural barriers to gender equality. By embedding gender considerations into foreign policy and critical areas such as women, peace, and security, the partnership aims to advance priorities including economic empowerment, climate action, and disaster risk reduction.

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director of the UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, remarked on the UAE’s unwavering support for UN Women, noting its crucial role in enhancing regional and international cooperation for women’s empowerment. With the Strategic Partnership Framework, the goal is to achieve significant progress in global gender equality, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to leadership in this domain and setting a global benchmark for impactful change.

The partnership is focused on ensuring the full and equal participation of women in leadership, governance, and peacebuilding. It aims to create a women-centered foreign policy model that promotes women’s empowerment and their contributions to global peace and policy development. The UAE has made notable strides in gender balance, rising to seventh place globally and first regionally in the 2024 Gender Equality Index by the United Nations Development Programme, up from 49th place in 2015.