Implementation of Gender Policies by the Private Sector in the UAE: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s “Vision 2021” set a deadline for the country to become one of the top 25 countries in the area of gender equality by the end of that year, with the government launching a gender balance program to achieve this goal. However, the private sector faces challenges in the implementation of these national gender policies. Even with country’s multinational entities leading the way for gender equality in the private sector, implementing the new gender policy is challenging. This study demonstrates the ways in which cooperation between private sector entities and the government is often dysfunctional. Testimony from 10 interviews with professionals in UAE-based companies suggests that businesses face problems implementing gender-balancing policies due to a lack of transparency, reporting, and accurate data on gender issues within both the private and the public sectors. The study concludes that businesses require greater guidance and more transparent measures to be able to advance gender equality issues in the UAE.