Emirates’ progressive policies bearing fruit, says Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum DUBAI: Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, president of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said that equity is becoming more deeply rooted in various sectors of the nation as a result of the government’s progressive policies, Emirates News Agency reported on Wednesday. The UAE GBC announced that eight major national and international companies operating in a variety of fields in the country have now joined the “SDG 5 Pledge to Accelerate Gender Balance in the UAE Private Sector” initiative. This falls under the auspices of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5. There are now 64 companies participating in the UAE’s voluntary pledge. Sheikha Manal said she was proud of the growing awareness in the UAE’s private sector to ensure gender equality. She said it was important for businesses to support the government’s efforts in this regard, to achieve economic prosperity, social stability and sustainable growth. Sheikha Manal also highlighted the positive interaction of private sector institutions with the initiative, which aims to increase women’s participation in senior and middle management roles to 30 percent by 2025.