UAE’s growing emphasis on equality & rapid transformation from limitation to sophistication

The United Arab Emirates is committed to providing equality and social justice to all people residing within its borders, with the country’s Constitution ensuring respect for human rights and the fight against all forms of discrimination.

Over the last five decades, the Emirates has successfully transformed itself from a nation where people had limited to no access to education and health services to one with sophisticated infrastructure. This extraordinary growth prompted large-scale immigration. The total UAE population increased to a whopping 9.4 million in 2014 from just 1 million in 1980.

The Emirati government has taken a transparent and inclusive approach toward protecting scores of different communities that contribute to the country’s rapid development. Significant progress continues to be made in the fields of education, healthcare, women empowerment, and sustainable economic development.

The government approved the formation of the National Human Rights Authority in December 2020 in an effort to empower the vulnerable segments of society and protect human rights on regional and international levels.

Additionally, the country has also acceded to a number of international conventions, including

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children

In order to protect workers’ rights, including in the areas of pay, recruitment, health, and housing, the UAE has adopted various laws and ratified nine major International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions related to the rights of workers.

Moreover, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) does not accept discrimination in salaries between a citizen and non-citizen (expat) employee, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, recently stressed.

The UAE Constitution guarantees equal rights for both men and women.

The country’s enormous progress in women’s inclusion, justice, and security has earned it the 24th rank among 170 countries and the first regionally in the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace And Security’s 2021 WPS Index.

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