This article needs to be updated.(January 2025) |
| General statistics | |
|---|---|
| Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 3 (2025) [1] |
| Women in parliament | 50% (2020) [2] |
| Women over 25 with secondary education | 83.4% (2023) [3] |
| Women in labour force | 54.48% (2025) |
| Gender Inequality Index [4] | |
| Value | 0.040 (2023) |
| Rank | 13th out of 191 |
| Global Gender Gap Index [5] | |
| Value | 0.724 (2025) |
| Rank | 69th out of 146 |
| Part of a series on |
| Women in society |
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In the last decade, the United Arab Emirates has introduced several reforms to improve the status of women, modernizing its legislation to enhance their status in divorce, child custody and financial independence. [6] [7] UAE performs better on metrics of gender equality than many other states in the Gulf region, [8] [9] and it has been making reforms to protect women's rights and empower women in different sectors. [10] However, according to Human Rights Watch, the reforms are not enough to dismantle the system of discrimination against women. [11]
The Human Rights Watch reports in 2025 and 2026 consider the UAE's efforts to improve women's rights as limited and falling short of fully addressing gender discrimination. [12] [10] Despite the trends towards greater equality, [13] some describe some of these reforms as window dressing. [14] Emirati women live under male guardianship. [14] Whereas men can marry multiple women and unilaterally divorce, women are required to obtain a court order to divorce their husband although they can request it in circumstances such as financial abandonment and neglect. [15] [14] Honor killings can go unpunished, as the victim's family can pardon the murderer. [14] Marital rape is not criminalized in the UAE. [14] The UAE is a major destination for sex trafficking. [16]
Female members of the royal family have been subjects of abuse and restrictions by the male royalty. [14] On 5 March 2020, a British court ruled that on the balance of probabilities, Sheikh Mohammed, the absolute ruler of Dubai and the prime minister of the UAE, had abducted two of his daughters, Shamsa and Latifa, and had threatened his former wife, the Jordanian princess Haya bint Hussein. [17] Allegedly, Shamsa and Latifa were forcibly medicated while held in Dubai under Sheikh Mohammed's orders since 2000 and 2018, respectively. [18] On 16 February 2021, BBC's Panorama broadcast a documentary featuring Sheikha Latifa's video messages that she made secretly under enforced detention in Dubai on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed. [19] [20]
The role of women in society in the lands which comprised modern-day UAE has gradually expanded since the discovery of oil. Before 1960, there were few opportunities for them outside the realm of home and family. [21] In the early 1990s, there were five women's societies promoting various issues of importance to women, including literacy and health. [22] [23]
In 2002, the government created an official business networking system for women in order to overcome the lack of networking between them. There are currently 12,000 members with over $6.81 billion (USD) in investment capital. [24] In its 2015 assessment, The CEDAW Committee made many recommendations to the UAE on initiatives needed to safeguard women's equality. [25] The CEDAW Committee is a group of impartial specialists that oversees the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, consisting of 23 international specialists on women's rights. [26] Therefore, the UAE took action in response by including the removal of laws that required women to "obey" their husbands, the explicit affirmation of a man's legal right to discipline his wife and children, and the punishment of consensual extramarital sex. These laws forbid discrimination based on gender or sex. [25]
In recent years, the UAE has repealed several of its laws perceived as harmful to women's status. [27] The "obedience clause" has been revoked in 2019, as well as a clause in the Penal Code recognizing that a husband has the right to discipline his spouse. The crime and punishment for domestic violence has been coded into law, and anyone found guilty of domestic violence might face a maximum of six months in prison and/or a fine of up to Dh5,000 (about $1361). [28] The law covers physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse. [28] [27]
Article 72 of the Law on Personal Status allows judges to determine if it is permissible for a married woman to leave the house and to work. In Sep. 2020, the updated UAE Labor Law 8/1980 took effect, requiring equal pay for men and women performing the same work or work of equal value. [29] Under Emirati law, women are free to choose their jobs, although employers can ask for permission from a male guardian. [30] Pregnant women working in the private sector are entitled to 45 paid scheduled days of maternity leave. The public sector allows 90 paid scheduled days and Abu Dhabi has recently proposed extending the benefit to the private sector. [31] [32] [33] After returning to work, the Emirati law allows mothers an extra hour off per day for breastfeeding. [34] Women in the UAE are free to own property and acquire a mortgage, and a third (30%) of all Dubai real estate is owned by women. [35] [36]
The UAE amended in Nov. 2020 Article 356 of the Penal Code, removing language that was used to punish consensual sex outside of marriage, but marriage certificates continue to be a requirement for obtaining birth certificates, which may affect migrant women and leave their children undocumented. [37]
While historically the children of Emirati mothers are not granted automatic citizenship, recent flexibilization allows the child to request citizenship in cases the father is unknown or stateless, or even the child was raised in the UAE. In some cases, children born to an Emirati mother and a foreign father are able to request citizenship. [38] [27] Foreign women married to Emirati men may request citizenship, provided they fulfill several requirements such as a qualifying marriage period, continuous residency in the UAE and other legal requirements. [39]
In 2020, the UAE repealed Article 334 of the Penal Code, which allowed judges to issue lenient sentences punishing honor killings, announcing that it would be considered as murder and would be liable to life imprisonment or execution. [40] [38] [41] However, families of honor killing victims can waive their right to have the murderer punished in return for blood money (or none) in which case the murderer will be punished by 7 years. [41]
Some of the women's rights under the Personal Status Law require the consent of a male guardian, who is often the husband or a male family member. [30] [27] There are precedents in which guardian's refusal was considered arbitrary or unjustified. [42] In 2025, the UAE has introduced reforms allowing women to remarry without the authorization of a guardian. [43] [44] In all Emirates, it is illegal for Muslim women to marry a non-Muslim man. [45] [46] The requirement is derived from Sharia, and has been considered a federal law since 2005. [43]
In 2022, the UAE introduced civil law marriages for non-Muslim expatriates and tourists. [47] As of 2024, non-citizen women are eligible to request the application of their home country laws in matters of marriage and do not need consent to do so. Courts maintain oversight to ensure the compatibility of laws. [48]
As part of the modernization of gender-related laws in the country, rape and non-consensual intercourse became an severe offense [49] liable for life in prison or, in cases of minors, disabled or otherwise, capital punishment. [50] The law also allows abortion in cases of rape or incest. [51]
However, HRW points out that a disproportionate emphasis on burden of truth to prove rape cases, as well as potential social ostracism, result in insurmountable obstacles for victims of abuse. [52] A lack of clarity on concepts such as indecency might leave cases to judges who ultimately can issue harsh verdicts even in cases of public displays of affection. [53] Human rights groups express concern over what they consider a criminalization of rape victims. [54] In two cases, women who reported being raped were sentenced to prison for "engaging in extramarital relations", as their allegations were considered unfounded by authorities. Over 50% of women residents in the UAE say that they would not report a rape to the police. [55]
In 2010, a Muslim woman in Abu Dhabi recanted her allegations of being gang-raped by 6 men, claiming that the police threatened her with corporal punishment for premarital sex. [56] In 2013, a Norwegian woman, Marte Dalelv, received a prison sentence of sixteen months in Dubai for perjury, consensual extramarital sex, and alcohol consumption, after she reported her boss to the police for an alleged rape. She eventually retracted the accusation, following her lawyer's advice as it would be difficult to prove her case in court. [57] she was later fully pardoned and allowed to leave the country. [54] Her abuser was sentenced to thirteen months in prison and also pardoned.
Men involved in these alleged rapes were also convicted for extramarital sex. Another victim of rape was arrested in 2016, this time a British national. She alleged that she was raped by British men while in vacation. [58] Charges were dropped after prosecution deemed the case as consensual. All parties were released without further consequences. [59]
In Dubai, a woman who engages in consensual extramarital relations and presses false allegations of rape can be sentenced to over a year of time in prison. [54]
Nadya Khalife, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, says that "these charges will make young women in the UAE, citizens and tourists alike, think twice about seeking justice and reporting sexual assaults for fear of being charged themselves". [60] She also stated that "the message to women is clear: victims will be punished for speaking out and seeking justice, but sexual assault itself will not be properly investigated". [61]
Since 2020, stoning and flogging are no longer legal forms of punishment in the United Arab Emirates, following reforms in the Federal Penal Code. [62] [63] In 2006, it was ruled that flogging would no longer be used to punish non-Muslims. [64] According to the 2021 US State Department Human Rights Practices Report, flogging was abolished under the Federal Penal Code. [64] Since 2022, premarital sex is not considered a criminal offense in the UAE. [65] [66] Emirati legal experts have previously said that stoning and flogging sentences were mostly symbolic and usually overturned when appealed. [67]
Flogging and stoning were legal judicial punishments in the UAE due to the application of Sharia Law in civil and criminal matters. Corporal punishment was historically employed in the UAE for several criminal offences, such as adultery, premarital sex, and prostitution. [68] In most emirates, flogging sentences ranged from 80 to 200 lashes. [69] [70] Between 2007 and 2013, several women were sentenced to 100 lashes. [68] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] Moreover, in 2010 and 2012, several Muslims were sentenced to 80 lashes for alcohol consumption. [78] [79] Premarital sex was punishable by 100 lashes. [80]
Stoning was a legal form of judicial punishment used for cases of adultery and extramarital sex, though sentences were often overturned on appeal. In 2006, an expatriate was sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery. [81] Between 2009 and 2013, reports mention that several individuals were sentenced to death by stoning on adultery and incest charges. [74] [82] [83] In May 2014, an Asian woman was sentenced to death by stoning in Abu Dhabi. [84] [85] [86]
While capital punishment is prescribed in the United Arab Emirates penal code, sentences are carried mostly for crimes endangering society's safety, such as treason or aggravated murder. Rape is punishable by death [87] [88]
The UAE has experienced a steady improvement regarding the integration of women in the workforce. [89] As of 2006, less than 20% of Emirati women were part of the national labor force [90] and according to a 2012 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), had the second lowest percentage of local women working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). [91] The rate of female participation in the labor force in 2019 had already increased to 52.4% [92] and according to World Bank data, has reached 54.1% in 2024. [93] According to latest data but is still lower than male participation, which was 92% in 2020. [94]
In the UAE, women cover roughly 66% of jobs in the public sector. This is the highest proportion worldwide, and 30% of them are in senior leadership positions. [95]
At the nine-year-old Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, women constitute 43% of its investors while the city's businesswomen's association boasts 14,000 members. [96] At the forefront of Emirati women in business is Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan al Qasimi, appointed Minister for Economy and Planning in November 2004 and subsequently promoted to her current post as Minister of Foreign Trade. Sheikha Lubna holds the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the country. Her efforts have led her to be included within the Forbes Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women. [97]
On July 27, 2025 Dubai Police Force made history, as it appointed Colonel Samira Abdullah Al Ali to be the first ever female brigadier. [98]
The UAE Gender Balance Council was founded in 2015 to implement the UAE's gender balance agenda. It is tasked with reducing the gender gap across all government sectors, improve the UAE's performance in global competitiveness reports on gender equality, achieving gender balance in decision-making positions, and launching initiatives that aim to improve gender balance across the UAE. [99] [100]
The UAE ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the economic participation of women in the World Bank's 2021 'Women, Business and the Law' report. [101] The country also announced on March 15, 2021, a list of companies that must have at least one female board member, but by May 2021, only four of the 23 people holding these roles at firms on the UAE's two major stock exchanges were women. [100] [102] Fatma Hussain, for example, is the only female on the board of Dubai-based Aramex PJSC. [102] But since the decision came to effect in early April, Emaar Properties PJSC, Du, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution, and Dana Gas named women to their boards. [102] Even with the new rules being made, gender inequality is still a major problem in our lives today. Women struggle with wage gaps, getting promotions, and even underrepresentation in positions, which can impact their careers as women in the business industry. [103]
The UAE established, under the auspices of the Federal Chamber of Commerce, a group of businesswomen's councils to support businesswomen and female entrepreneurs in the country. [104] A number of organizations have the stated intent to empower women in business, such as the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council, [105] [106] [107] [108] the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), [109] [110] the Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), [104] [111] the Ajman Business Women Council (AJBWC), [112] [113] [114] and the Arab Women Leadership Forum. [115]
Within the public sector, governmental employment for Emirati women has increased from 11.6% in 1995 to 22% in 2005 and 66% as of June 2007. [96] In September 2008, Dr. Hissa Al Otaiba and Najla Al Qasimi became the UAE's first female ambassadors, serving Spain and Sweden respectively. [116]
The representation of women in the Federal National Council was raised in Dec. 2018 to 50%, [117] [118] and about 30% of the Cabinet of the UAE is female. [119] [117] Nine out of the 33 Cabinet members are women, [120] [121] [122] and these are: Minister of Culture and Youth Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of Community Development Hessa bint Eisa Bu Humaid, Minister of State for Public Education Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State for Food and Water Security Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology Sara Al Amiri, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrui. [120] [122] [99] In December 2019, [123] the UAE became the only Arab country, and one of only five countries in the world, to attain gender parity in a national legislative body, with its lower house 50 per cent women. [124] [125]
The UAE became the second Arab country with a female marriage registrar after Egypt. [126] By 2006, women accounted for over 22% of the Federal National Council. [127] The UAE's minister of state post is Reem Al Hashimi, who is the first female minister to be in this position and have that role. [128] The UAE appointed in 2004 its first female minister, Lubna Al Qasimi, who was a member of the Sharjah royal family and served as the minister of economics and planning although her background was in information technology. [129]
In Sep. 2013, Lana Nusseibeh was appointed as the UAE's first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and she was elected in 2017 as President of the UN Women Executive Board. [130] [131]
The 2007 report on the progress of MDGs in the UAE states, "the proportion of females in higher education has risen remarkably at a rate that has not been achieved in any other country in the world. During the years 1990 to 2004, the number of female university students has grown to double that of male students. This is the result of the promotion and encouragement of women's education by state and family." [132] Upon completion of high school, 95% of Emirati women continue on to higher education and constitute 75% of the student population at the Al Ain national university. Women constitute 70% of college graduates in the UAE. [127] [133] [102] [99] [134] According to Dubai Women's College, 50-60% of its 2,300 students proceed to seek employment upon graduation. [135]
The literacy rate of women in the UAE is 95.8%, [136] [137] while it is 93.1% among men. [137] Women constitute 80-90% of the student population at two of the nation's three federal institutions of higher learning. [99] At the end of 2000, female literacy in the UAE stood at 79% while male literacy was at 75%. [136] Both genders had an equal literacy rate in 1990, and it stood at 75%. [136] In 1975, the rate of female literacy rate was 31% while male literacy stood at 54%. [134] Also, 77% of Emirati women enroll in higher education in secondary school. [138] [99] [134]
Women account for 56% of the UAE's graduates in STEM courses at government universities. [134] [139] [99] At the Masdar Institute of Science, 60% of Emirati graduate students are female. [140] [99]
In the United Nations Development Program's 2020 Gender Inequality Index (GII), the UAE ranked first in the Gulf region and 18th out of 162 countries for gender equality after having ranked 26th globally in 2019. [92] The World Economic Forum also ranked the UAE in 2020 second-best in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region for gender equality. [141] In the World Economic Forum's annual Global Gender Gap Report, the UAE ranked 72 out of 153 countries in 2021, rising from 120 in 2020. [142] [143]
Discrimination against women persists in the UAE. [144] In the mid-2010s, YouTuber Hayla Ghazal used comedy to draw attention to gender disparities in the UAE and beyond. [145] [146]
Women's rights in the UAE came under heightened scrutiny after the emergence of videos of Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, claiming she feared for her life as she was held hostage by her father since she tried to flee in 2018. [37] [147] [30]
In 2019, the UAE came under fire for handing all its Gender Balance Index awards, which applaud efforts to reduce the gender gap within the government and promote equal opportunities, to men – these include the Best Personality Supporting Gender Balance, Best Federal Authority Supporting Gender Balance, and Best Gender Balance Initiative. [148] [149] [150] [151]
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) submitted on February 26, 2021, to the United Nations committee a report on the UAE's compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). [152] [37] The report addressed articles 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 of the CEDAW and it was founded on information covered in media reports and HRW publications, including "'I Already Bought you': Abuse and Exploitation of Female Migrant Domestic Workers in the United Arab Emirates" (Oct, 2014). [153] In November 2021, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Debbie Abrahams MP, and Helena Kennedy produced a report which revealed the facts around the lack of fundamental protection of women's rights in the UAE. The report named "Fact-Finding Report into the Treatment of British Women in the United Arab Emirates" showcased the stories of British women who have been falsely accused and left vulnerable to serious abuses of their rights by Emirati law. [154]
Since the 1980s, the UAE has seen an increase in female migrants occupying roles of domestic workers. Generally, most domestic workers in the UAE are South Asian migrants, mainly from India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. However, recent trends have shown a rise in female domestic workers from Ethiopia and Kenya. [155] [156] On Oct. 22, 2014, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a 79-page report on the abuse of female domestic workers in the UAE. The report sheds light on the range of abuses against migrant domestic workers by UAE employers and recruiting agents. This includes the confiscation of passports, trafficking, physical abuse, failure to pay full wages, forcing workers to labor for long hours without time off, and the denial of proper living conditions and access to healthcare services. [157] The Human Rights Watch said that Emirati law failed to protect the rights of domestic workers and left them exposed to abuse. [158] [37]
Emirati Women's Day, August 28, is a national United Arab Emirates day dedicated to gender equality and women empowerment. It was celebrated for the first time in 2015 upon the initiative of Fatima Bint Mubarak and it marks the anniversary of the creation of the UAE's General Women's Union. [159] [160] [161] [162] [163] [164]
The Emirates Women Award was launched in 2003 to recognize women in the UAE (both expatriates and citizens) who have been successful in their businesses and careers. [165] The award honors 12 women every cycle in the business and professional categories as well as the leadership, strategic and financial planning, career achievements, community contributions, innovation criteria. [166]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)KA, 19, Emirati, was sentenced to six months in prison. Her would-be husband, AM, Omani, was sentenced to 100 lashes and one year in prison.
At that point, she was facing a penalty for extramarital sex, which is 100 lashes and a minimum of three years in prison.
Under the same law, premarital sex is punishable by 100 lashes.
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