Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions worldwide, with gender parity in national parliaments projected to take more than six decades to achieve, according to a recent United Nations report. The 2026 Gender Snapshot, published by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, indicates that equal rights and opportunities for women and girls across all sectors may take nearly 171 years at the current rate of progress.
The report highlights persistent disparities in leadership roles globally. Women occupy just 27.4% of parliamentary seats, and their representation in cabinet positions has declined slightly to 22.4% from a peak of 23.3% in 2024. In the judiciary, only 31 out of 175 chief justices worldwide are women. Corporate leadership shows similar imbalances, with women holding 25.1% of board seats at publicly traded companies but only 5.8% of chief executive roles, underscoring the challenges women face in obtaining top executive positions.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasized that the continued exclusion of women from leadership is rooted in systemic barriers, including unequal laws, societal stereotypes, and institutional biases that hinder women’s advancement. The report stresses that gender inequality affects not only women but broader social outcomes, such as health and education. For instance, countries with over 20% female parliamentary representation tend to have higher immunization rates and improved child survival statistics.
In contrast to global trends, the United Arab Emirates has taken proactive measures to enhance women’s empowerment and leadership across sectors. The nation has established a structured framework involving entities such as the UAE Gender Balance Council and the Dubai Women Establishment, which focus on developing leadership skills among Emirati women and promoting their advancement into senior roles in both public and private sectors.
Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the Gender Balance Council, noted that the UAE is intensifying efforts to increase women’s participation in private-sector leadership. Initiatives include partnerships with public and private entities to foster inclusive workplaces and encouraging companies to join the SDG 5 Pledge, committing to raise women’s representation in middle and senior management to at least 30% by 2025 or 2028, depending on the group.
The council’s 2026 strategy aims to close gender gaps across all sectors, improve the UAE’s standing in global gender-equality rankings, and position the country as a regional benchmark for gender-balance legislation. Reflecting these efforts, the UAE ranked first in the region and 13th globally on the UN Development Programme’s 2025 Gender Inequality Index.
Despite these advancements, disparities remain between political and corporate leadership in the UAE. Women hold half of the seats in the Federal National Council and 26% of ministerial roles, alongside 63% of federal government leadership positions, according to Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union. However, female representation on corporate boards stands at 15%, marking the UAE as the regional leader but still below the global average of 25.1% reported by the UN.
Regulatory measures, such as mandates requiring at least one woman on the board of listed companies since 2021 and extending to private joint-stock companies from 2025, have supported gains in boardroom diversity. These initiatives reflect the country’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and amplifying women’s roles in governance and business.