Starting tomorrow, September 25, the salaries of women in the private sector should be equal to those of men, as a new federal law takes effect.
The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued Federal Law No. 6 of 2020, where the first article states that women and men must have the same salaries if they hold the same position or if they are doing the same type of work.
The new law changes Article 32 of Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 on labour relations. Aimed at empowering women, the policy is expected to encourage more female talents to join the private sector.
Alisha Moopen, deputy managing director at Aster DM Healthcare, hailed th decision as forward looking. She said: “Any nation, community or organisation that doesn’t unlock the full potential of its entire population is losing half its resource power. Another brilliant and forward-looking move by UAE and our beloved President that has enforced the equal pay for equal work irrespective of gender.” “I feel so proud and excited for such progressive moves that will continue to propel this country forward. I am positive this will turbo charge the growth of the UAE and, furthermore, will be a game changer for this region,” she added.
Kamal Vachani, group director of Almaya Group, said the UAE has led the path in making reforms. He told Gulf News: “This (equal pay) is a great announcement. This is a wonderful pioneering move by the government. The UAE has always been a leader in major reforms and this move is a sign of great leadership and governance.”
The landmark decision was praised as a model of inclusive society by educator Sheela Menon, principal at Ambassador School in Dubai. She said: “The UAE leaders are setting a significant and powerful example of inclusive society in the true sense by this landmark decision. It is a very positive and strong message to the younger generation.”
Canadian-Italian expat Simona Agolini, CEO and co-founder of family mobile app QiDZ, said: “Today, September 25, the law on equal wages pay comes into effect. For the women and men in the UAE, this is an amazing milestone and a real sign of the commitment of the UAE in supporting women in the workforce. I’m super excited to be among the women who will benefit from this kind of initiative and I feel that it really puts the UAE at the forefront of gender equality.”
UAE to become more attractive
Filipino expat Sheila Tobias, senior communications manager at Twister Communications, is confident the recent announcement will attract more families, not just women to live and work in the UAE Dubai. She explained: “The decree is a good step that would give the female workforce more motivation to contribute more towards the success of the company - since they know that they will be compensated equally as compared with their male counterparts. In addition, I think it will attract more families to come here (in the UAE) and find a new home.”
Indian expat and media consultant Shaneer Nusrat Siddiqui, 38, added: “The equal pay law is an amazing step by UAE government towards gender equality, equality at workplace and an equal society. I would like to add, though, even earlier the UAE has always been talent-oriented and gender was never an issue. But this law will encourage and boost more women power to showcase their skills and expertise at best; and will help to improve the workforce market. The UAE leadership has shown again that this country is a champion of human rights and women empowerment. I am sure that this law is going to be an exemplar for other countries also in terms of women rights and society development.”
