Companies have come together to improve the ratio of women at the leadership level in the UAE. The efforts will combine policies and programs aligned with government initiatives to have 30% women in leadership positions by 2025.
According to news reports, around 18 companies, including local and MNCs, have signed the pledge to add momentum to the United National Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. The 5th SDG speaks about achieving gender equality by empowering women and girls.
Through the pledge, the private sector has vowed to improve the percentage of women in leadership positions to 30 percent by 2025 through policy, program, and initiatives aligned with the UAE government’s direction.
As part of the efforts, the companies have decided on equal pay, fair compensation, gender-equitable recruitment, and promotion, to name a few. They have also pledged for policies and programs to achieve gender balance, alongside transparency surrounding the progress of the efforts.
Some of the signatories of the pledge are Majid Al Futtaim Holding, Masdar, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Dubai Holding, Unilever, Standard Chartered Bank, MasterCard, Michelin, UPS, General Motors, Schneider Electric, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, BASF, Mars, Nestle, and General Mills.
The United Nations says that ‘gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.’
