No, we’re not making this up.
You’d think that the minimum requirement for a gender equality awards ceremony would be that more than one gender was represented, but alas, here we are.
The United Arab Emirates is coming in for criticism for their recent gender equality awards, as every winner was a man.
It is somewhat important to note that two of the awards were in fact won by ministries, not individuals, but they were of course accepted by men on behalf of the team.
According to CNN, UAE authorities have pointed out that the first edition of the Index, in 2017, featured one female winner.
The statement also pointed out that the UAE is doing more than many countries in the middle east with regards to gender equality.
It said that in 2016, the Middle East had the world’s lowest rate of female participation in the workforce at just under 22%, according to the World Bank.
However the picture is brighter in the UAE, where women age 15 and over make up 46.6% of the labor force, according to a statement from UAE authorities, a figure that is not far off the global average of 49%.
The statement added that 66% of public sector workers are women, with 30% in leadership roles.
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