UAE in Top 5 Nations for Women’s Parliamentary Representation
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has secured a place in the top five countries worldwide for women’s representation in parliament, according to a United Nations report released ahead of International Women’s Day. With women occupying 50% of seats in its Federal National Council (FNC), the UAE now stands alongside Andorra in this landmark achievement, outpacing developed nations like New Zealand, Sweden, and France.
The UN’s Women in Politics: 2025 report highlights the UAE’s remarkable progress, noting that its 50% female parliamentary representation exceeds rates in New Zealand (45.5%), Sweden (45%), and the UK (40.5%). By contrast, Saudi Arabia and Turkey lag significantly, with women holding fewer than 20% of legislative seats.
This milestone stems from a 2018 decree by the late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, mandating gender parity in the FNC, the country’s advisory parliamentary body. The policy marked a dramatic shift from 2006, when women accounted for just 22.2% of council members. Today, women also hold 20% of ministerial positions in the UAE’s Cabinet, reflecting broader strides toward gender equality in governance.
Globally, women’s representation in lower parliamentary houses averages 27.2%, with upper houses at 27.4%. While Rwanda (61%), Cuba (53%), and Nicaragua (51%) lead the world in gender-balanced legislatures, nations like Oman and Yemen have yet to elect a single woman to their parliaments.
“The UAE’s achievement underscores decades of commitment to empowering women in public life,” the report notes. However, it also emphasizes the need for continued efforts to close gaps elsewhere. Despite progress, nearly 30% of countries still have less than 10% female parliamentary representation.
The UAE’s success story offers a blueprint for integrating women into political leadership—a critical step toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Yet as the report concludes, “true equality demands not only seats at the table but equal influence in shaping policies that affect half the world’s population.”
Source: Khaleej Times
