Marking Emirati Women's Month, GPSSA outlined how its pension and social security systems are structured to support working Emirati women's financial stability at every stage of their professional and personal lives.
The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) says empowering Emirati women remains a core part of the UAE's development strategy, citing their growing role across the workforce and their impact on family and community life.
According to 2026 GPSSA data, 133,514 Emirati women are currently registered as insured individuals, reflecting their expanding presence across government and private sector jobs. Of these, 13,238 women are retirees drawing benefits, 16,717 are eligible female beneficiaries, and 17 are registered under the Self-Employment Scheme.
Hind Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Pensions Sector at GPSSA, said Emirati Women's Month is a chance to mark women's achievements and reaffirm commitment to their empowerment, framing this year's theme as an extension of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak's vision for elevating women's status in the family, society, and workplace. She added that supporting women's financial security has a direct effect on family stability and social cohesion.
Among the law's key protections is a right unique to women: a widow can combine her own salary or pension with her share of her deceased husband's pension, preserving household income after losing a provider.
Federal Law by Decree No. (57) of 2023 also restructured survivor benefits, raising the widow's share to 40%, with 40% split among children and 20% for parents, strengthening the family's financial safety net.
The law further tailors retirement rules to working mothers, letting an insured married, divorced, or widowed woman claim her pension at 55 after 30 years of contributions. Mothers of five or six children get their subscription period cut by two years and retirement age reduced by three; for a seventh child, the subscription period drops by three and a half years and retirement age by four.
GPSSA says these provisions are designed to keep pace with Emirati women's evolving needs, giving them more flexibility to plan their financial futures while continuing their role in their families and the UAE's broader development.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
