GENDER BALANCE GUIDE - OECD

1 GENDER BALANCE GUIDE . Actions for UAE Organisations | September 2017. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 1. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 2. GENDER BALANCE GUIDE . ACTIONS FOR UAE ORGANISATIONS. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 3. AUTHOR: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). PREPARED FOR: UAE GENDER BALANCE Council DESIGN : SMG Agency, PUBLICATION INFORMATION: September 2017. OECD Publishing, Paris OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 4. TABLE OF CONTENTS. About .. 06. President's Message .. 07. Vice President's Foreword .. 08. DSG - OECD Foreword .. 09. Preface .. 11. Acknowledgements .. 13. Background .. 15. Vision 2021 and Levels of Progress .. 18. 1. Actions to implement commitment and oversight for GENDER 23. 2. Actions to integrate GENDER into policies and programmes .. 27. 3.

2 Actions for engaging personnel towards GENDER BALANCE .. 36. 4. Actions to implement GENDER BALANCE in leadership positions .. 39. 5. Actions to implement GENDER sensitive communication .. 43. Summary .. 45. Conclusion .. 48. Annexes .. 49. Bibliography .. 61. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 5. ABOUT. ABOUT THE UAE GENDER BALANCE COUNCIL. Established in 2015, the UAE GENDER BALANCE Council is a federal entity responsible for developing and implementing the GENDER BALANCE agenda in the united arab emirates . The Council is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Council's objectives are to reduce the GENDER gap across all government sectors, enhance the UAE's ranking in global competitiveness reports on GENDER equality and achieve GENDER BALANCE in decision-making positions, as well as promote the UAE's status as a benchmark for GENDER BALANCE legislation.

3 The Council launches pioneering initiatives and projects to enhance GENDER BALANCE throughout the country and contribute to achieving its vision of positioning the UAE as a world model for GENDER BALANCE . ABOUT THE OECD. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international body that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. It is made up of 35 member countries, a secretariat in Paris, and a committee, drawn from experts from government and other fields, for each work area covered by the Organisation. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. We collaborate with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. We measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 6. OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 7.

4 OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 8. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. GENDER BALANCE has always been an integral part of the UAE's social fabric and continues to be a key priority for the future. The strong emphasis on promoting GENDER equality has been one of the strands of our nation's remarkable development success story, which has earned the world's respect and admiration. Today, we all enjoy the fruits of our country's efforts to enhance GENDER BALANCE in various spheres of life. As the UAE makes steady progress towards realising its vision of becoming one of the top 25 countries for GENDER equality by 2021, there naturally comes a need to develop clear procedures and adopt concrete action plans to entrench GENDER BALANCE practices in the workplace. The GENDER BALANCE GUIDE : Actions for UAE Organisations has been developed to meet this objective. It serves as a vital resource to advance GENDER BALANCE across government and private sector institutions.

5 Aligned with the goals of the UAE Vision 2021, international standards and UAE legislation, the GENDER BALANCE GUIDE sets out best practices and policies to embed GENDER BALANCE more deeply into the culture of our organisations. It addresses key issues such as work conditions, merits and rights and responsibilities, with the aim of enhancing women's participation in society and their contribution to economic development. There is no doubt that narrowing the GENDER gap will require the commitment of all sectors and a strong collaborative approach. We are confident that the implementation of this GUIDE will be instrumental in establishing the UAE as a GENDER BALANCE leader. It will support the UAE's objective of providing women with equal career advancement opportunities, which will encourage them to take on leadership positions and empower them to be true partners in national development. Adopting the principles of the GENDER BALANCE GUIDE will also play a crucial role in fulfilling the UAE's commitments to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which in turn will advance the nation's position as a global role model for GENDER BALANCE .

6 Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum President of the UAE GENDER BALANCE Council OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 9. VICE PRESIDENT'S FOREWORD. VICE PRESIDENT'S FOREWORD. Created in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the GENDER BALANCE GUIDE : Actions for UAE Organisations strongly reflects the UAE GENDER BALANCE Council's efforts to build meaningful partnerships with global organisations working to advance GENDER matters. The first initiative of its kind in the region, the GENDER BALANCE GUIDE is based on many principles of the OECD. Council's 2015 Recommendation on GENDER Equality in Public Life (GEPL), the 2013 OECD Recommendation of the Council on GENDER Equality in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship, as well as the results of the OECD's 2010 report on GENDER BALANCE across the UAE, and best practices of OECD member countries. This GUIDE provides clear frameworks and standards to help employers establish a supportive environment for GENDER BALANCE .

7 It addresses the gaps affecting both men and women, and provides an overview of the opportunities available to promote GENDER BALANCE within an organisation's management, performance and policy structures. It also includes human resources management tools and good practice indicators, as well as policy guidelines, which can contribute to mapping a national approach that both government and private sector entities can use to actively instill GENDER BALANCE across their organisations. The GENDER BALANCE GUIDE will help the UAE GENDER BALANCE Council achieve its objectives of ensuring equal opportunities for both men and women to contribute to the country's sustainable development, while establishing the UAE as a role model for GENDER BALANCE locally, regionally and internationally. This GUIDE will also support the UAE in meeting GENDER BALANCE indicator targets by helping entities to launch or develop initiatives that will drive improvement in this field. We would like to thank the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development for their support on developing this GUIDE as well as local public and private entities for their contributions, and all UAE GENDER BALANCE Council members for their valuable input and support.

8 Mona Ghanem Al Marri Vice President of the UAE GENDER BALANCE Council OECD 2017 | GENDER BALANCE GUIDE | Actions for UAE Organisations | Page 10. OECD'S FOREWORD. DSG - OECD FOREWORD. GENDER equality in public life is a global challenge. Although governments across the world have implemented a range of innovations to advance GENDER equality, significant gaps remain. Women still lag behind men in access to decision-making and leadership positions in public and economic life, from community to global levels. GENDER equality thus remains elusive, particularly at the professional level in both the public and private sector. However, maximising the use of talent in economy and society is critical for achieving inclusive growth and fostering national competitiveness. Equal access of both men and women to public and economic opportunities is part of a more equitable and sustainable economy and society. Indeed, achieving GENDER equality in the public sector is found to contribute to reduced inequality rates and considerably improved public confidence in government institutions.

9 Greater empowerment of women in public leadership positions often leads to higher living standards plus positive developments in health, education and infrastructure, with potential long-term growth effects. In the private sector, greater GENDER equality is also found to increase the competitiveness of the labour market, boost productivity gains, and expand the talent pool from which employers can draw. In fact, in OECD countries, reducing the GENDER gap in employment in both the public and private sector was strongly correlated with an average GDP increase of 12% over 20 years. To address this global challenge, the OECD adopted the 2013 Recommendation on GENDER Equality in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship as well as the 2015 Recommendation of the OECD Council on GENDER Equality in Public Life. These tools, developed on the basis of extensive evidence and good practices in OECD and MENA. countries, call on institutions to promote GENDER equality and enable GENDER diversity for better and more GENDER - responsive policies, programmes and services.

10 In its effort to achieve GENDER equality at all levels, the OECD is aiming to work with governments, institutions and organisations to deepen the exchange of good practices and to provide expertise and tools to address the questions of GENDER BALANCE and GENDER equality in a broader sense. Importantly, GENDER equality has also been recognised as a priority issue for engagement with countries in the MENA region. The OECD-MENA Women in Government Platform aims to assist governments in the MENA region to empower women to participate fully in public life, strengthen legal frameworks and public institutions in promoting GENDER equality, and mainstream GENDER in policy, budget and service delivery processes. This GUIDE , prepared in collaboration with the united arab emirates (UAE) GENDER BALANCE Council, lays out the roadmap for the UAE and its organisations to harness the untapped potential that women represent. Building on OECD expertise, it provides a list of practical actions that can be taken by UAE organisations, in both the private and the public sectors, in order to achieve GENDER BALANCE and work towards GENDER equality.