UAE among top 10 economies showing gender equality

The UAE is among the top 10 economies exhibiting the most progress towards gender equality since 2017.

That's according to a World Bank report, which highlighted that the country had improved its score by 29.4 points.

With an overall score of 56.3, the UAE showed a marked improvement in indicators like mobility, workplace, pay, marriage and parenthood. 

The report highlighted how the UAE was one of 12 economies that improved the pay indicator towards gender equality, noting that the country removed all job restrictions on women, allowing them to work the same hours and in the same jobs and industries as men. 

The UAE was also one of seven global economies that enacted new legal protections against sexual harassment in employment. 

As for the marriage indicator, the report acknowledged that the UAE "began allowing women to be head of household and adopted legislation protecting women from domestic violence."

In terms of mobility, the UAE was one of four economies where passport application procedures were made the same for men and women.

The 'Women, Business and the Law 2020', measures 190 economies, tracking how laws affect women at different stages in their working lives and focusing on those laws applicable in the main business city. It covers reforms in eight areas that are associated with women’s economic empowerment, conducted from June 2017 to September 2019.