Since early 2022, major local and international private-sector companies, all operating in the UAE, have voluntarily pledged to put women in 30 percent of their middle and senior management roles by 2028 (previously 2025).
The pledge, organised by the Gender Balance Council, has become known as the GBC SDG-5 pledge as it aligns to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal no.5 – gender equality.
It is also known as the Gender Equality Acceleration Pledge or the SDG 5 Pledge to Accelerate Gender Balance in the UAE Private Sector.
Aligning to UN’s SDG 5
Pledge members work closely with the UAE GBC to align with the UAE’s vision to achieve the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly SDG 5, achieving gender equality and empowering women.
Companies must transparently report their progress to the UAE GBC annually, reinforcing accountability and driving measurable change.
SDG-5 pledge: actionable steps
The actions all companies pledge to work on are:
- Ensuring equal pay and fair compensation
- Promoting gender-equitable recruitment and promotion
- Making gender balance ‘mainstream’ through company policies and programmes
- Mentorship programmes
- The elimination of unconscious bias
- Being transparent about progress with the other companies involved in the pledge and with the government.
UAE public-private partnership
The pledge is the result of a long-standing partnership between the UAE Government and the private sector.
It is a direct result of the efforts of the Private Sector Advisory Council on Sustainable Development Goals, in cooperation with the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, represented by the UAE Gender Balance Council (UAE GBC) and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC).
The SDG-5 Pledge supports the UAE Gender Balance Strategy 2026 and the Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy.
It builds on the UAE’s 2018 Equal Pay law and the nation’s efforts to promote gender equality in alignment with international best practices.
‘More women means thriving economies’
By collaborating with global organisations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and UN Women, the UAE is setting a benchmark for gender balance in the private sector.
HE Mona Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE
Gender Balance Council and Chairperson of the Global Council on SDG 5, said the pledge “confirms the important role that the private sector has in achieving the UAE’s vision and goals”.
She added: “There are real gender gaps in leadership positions across the world, with women occupying only 22 percent of CEO-level leadership positions. We need to escalate efforts to increase the number of women in senior and middle management roles, as more women in leadership means stronger organisational performance and thriving economies.”
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