Stephenson Harwood joins pledge to advance women’s leadership in UAE

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has joined the UAE Gender Balance Council’s SDG 5 Pledge, a national initiative aimed at advancing gender balance and women’s leadership in the UAE private sector.

Middle East Managing Partner, Rania Tadros, formally signed the Pledge at a ceremony in Dubai on 1 October, alongside seven other new national and international signatories. The ceremony also marked the inaugural SDG 5 Pledge Awards, recognising organisations that have translated their commitments to gender balance into effective policies, practices and initiatives.

The UAE Gender Balance Council, established in 2015 under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the SDG 5 Pledge in 2022 as a voluntary initiative inviting private sector companies to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5): achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The Pledge specifically focuses on supporting women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels, with a target of at least 30% women in middle and senior management roles by 2028. Signatories commit to actions including equal pay and fair compensation practices, gender-equitable recruitment and promotion processes, supporting these ambitions through internal policies and programmes, and sharing progress data annually.

Following the Pledge signing ceremony, Rania said: “We are proud to join the UAE Gender Balance Council’s SDG 5 Pledge and to support the UAE’s continued ambition to advance gender balance and women’s participation in leadership. The Pledge builds on our existing work and diversity targets, while complementing the wider progress being made across the UAE private sector. It reinforces our commitment to creating opportunities for women to develop, progress and lead within our firm. We look forward to working with the UAE Gender Balance Council and fellow signatories to share experiences, learn from each other and help drive further progress.”

Stephenson Harwood joins a growing network of organisations participating in the initiative. The Pledge provides a platform for signatories to exchange knowledge and practical experience, develop their internal capabilities and work collectively to advance gender balance across the UAE private sector. This commitment builds on the firm’s wider efforts to support women’s development and leadership in the region, including through WISTA UAE, which promotes professional development, networking and leadership opportunities for women across the maritime, trading and logistics sectors. Rania currently serves as its President.

For more information about Stephenson Harwood’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, please visit https://www.stephensonharwood.com/about/responsible-business/diversity-inclusion/