UAE Gender Balance Council Celebrates Inaugural SDG 5 Pledge Award Winners
Leading organisations honoured for translating gender equality commitments into measurable policies and practices, reinforcing the Emirates' standing as a global champion of workplace diversity and inclusion.
The UAE Gender Balance Council has recognised four pioneering organisations for their exceptional achievements in advancing gender balance, at a prestigious ceremony held in Dubai. The inaugural SDG 5 Pledge Awards ceremony, chaired by H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, celebrated organisations that have successfully transformed their commitment to gender equality into tangible policies, practices and initiatives.
The award categories recognised distinct areas of excellence across the private sector. Standard Chartered UAE received the Champions of Gender Balance in Policies Award, whilst Abu Dhabi National Oil Company secured the Pioneer of Women’s Leadership Representation Award. Schneider Electric was honoured with the Exemplary Initiative Advancing Gender Balance Award, and Deloitte Middle East received the Family-Focused Employer of the Year Award.
In her address, H.H. Sheikha Manal emphasised that gender balance has become an established national priority within the UAE’s development framework. She noted that this commitment reflects the nation’s leadership vision, which has consistently prioritised investment in human capital and enabled individuals to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s progress. She highlighted that women’s full and effective participation across all sectors strengthens society, enhances economic competitiveness, and supports the UAE’s regional and global standing on gender balance indices.
The private sector’s role proved instrumental to the occasion’s success, with H.H. Sheikha Manal underscoring the importance of moving beyond voluntary commitments to develop policies delivering measurable results. She expressed confidence that the award-winning organisations would inspire broader adoption of sustainable practices across the business community.
Eight additional national and international organisations joined the initiative during the ceremony, bringing momentum to the SDG 5 Pledge programme. The new signatories—Veolia, Publicis Groupe Middle East, WPP, Epson, Havas, Stephenson Harwood, Augustus Media and Advertising Business Group—join the Council in advancing women’s representation in senior and middle management positions across the private sector.
Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, emphasised that family-friendly work environments are essential for enhancing quality of life and supporting sustainable workforce participation. She highlighted the Ministry of Family’s ongoing efforts to develop policies that strengthen work-life balance and support the We the UAE 2031 vision through family stability and improved quality of life.
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, observed that growing private sector participation reflects a fundamental shift in prioritising gender balance as an organisational strategy linked to workplace strength and sustainable business performance. She outlined plans to develop the initiative as a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange and experience-sharing among participating organisations.
Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the UAE Gender Balance Council, indicated that the programme would continue supporting signatories through progress monitoring and practical guidance, whilst encouraging wider organisational participation in meaningful, measurable steps towards greater gender equity.
A panel discussion explored how organisations translate commitments into tracked and measured outcomes, examining data-driven approaches to monitoring progress and integrating gender balance within broader talent development and career pathway strategies.
Source: WAM