Women in the UAE enjoy the same constitutional rights as men. They have access to education, jobs, social and health benefits and holding government offices. The UAE ranked 1^st out of 132 countries in the ‘Women Treated with Respect’ indicator in the Social Progress Index 2014 report. The UAE has set special policies, laws and initiatives to protect women and promote gender equality in all aspects of the society. The initiatives include:

• a mandatory female presence in board of directors in all government entities and corporations
• national strategies for women’s empowerment which include:
  • National Strategy for Motherhood and Childhood 2017-2021
  • National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women 2015-2021
• a Gender Balance Council to achieve the gender balance targets which will support the UAE's vision to become one of the world's top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021
• The UAE’s Gender Balance Index derived from the highest national and global benchmarks, including the UAE Cabinet’s Key Performance Indicators and the United Nations Development Programme’s Gender Inequality Index
• laws on equal wages for women and men and protection for working women
• a gender balance guide at workplace
• a monthly financial assistance for Emirati widows, abandoned women and women married to expatriate men who cannot earn a living for reasons beyond their control
• equal and free access to all levels of education and vocational training
• socio-economic and political empowerment
• housing for single Emirati women
• provisions for maternity leave.

Read more on:

• Gender equality in the UAE
• Women in the UAE - Embassy of United Arab Emirates in Washington DC
• UAE women - facts and statistics
• The UAE and Human rights: Promoting women’s rights – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation
• Programmes and projects - General Women's Union.