Dubai: The UAE stands as a shining example in the region for gender equality, with women’s economic inclusion surpassing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) average.
According to Emirates News Agency, speaking at the Global Women’s Forum during the panel discussion ‘Empowering Entrepreneurs: Unlocking Opportunities for Financial Inclusion’, Charlotte Goemans, Programme Coordinator and Policy Analyst at the OECD, highlighted the organisation’s efforts to support women’s economic empowerment in MENA due to its positive economic and human rights impacts. “Despite higher education levels among women in the region, their labour force participation remains low, with women entrepreneurs representing only 2% of the sector,” Goemans said.
Other members of the panel included Estelle Loiseau, Gender Programme Officer, OECD Development Centre, and Angy El Yamany, National Program Director for Financial Inclusion, National Council for Women, Egypt.
A key driver of this outcome is reform of legislation co-led by the
UAE Gender Balance Council, which eliminated barriers to women’s employment, and introduced targeted government policies to raise gender balance. For example, it abolished gender-based discrimination in employment, ensured equal pay for equal value, and introduced parental leave-an initiative that is pioneering in the region, said Loiseau. Other countries in the region initiated reforms granting women access to capital and workplace protections.
A recent project in eight MENA countries aims to address structural barriers to finance, such as unequal access to property and gender biases in financial systems.
The OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) highlight persistent gender-based discrimination, particularly in family laws. Innovative digital solutions in Egypt are helping rural women access finance and build credit histories, demonstrating the potential for scalable impact.
Addressing a question on why the OECD is supporting women’s economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa, s
he said: ‘We are supporting OECD countries on this thematic. It’s not only the right thing to do from a human rights perspective; it’s also the smart theme from an economic point of view, because economies that have more women participating in the labour force are more competitive and more sustainable.’
El Yamany said that as a result of these reforms, women’s labour force participation has surpassed the target of 30% in Egypt. Also, the country made significant progress in narrowing gender gaps in education, which is essential for women’s economic inclusion.