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Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi Calls For Action On Women Empowerment On Day Two Of Women In Leadership Economic Forum 2014 |
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Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and CEO of Kalimat Group, delivered an inspirational speech on day two of the Women in Leadership Economic Forum 2014 (WIL) in Dubai with a call to action for greater women empowerment in the UAE and the wider Middle East. Her Excellency called on all women to reinvent themselves, lean on one another for inspiration and draw on their inner strengths to achieve their objectives in life. Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy and organised by naseba, the 16th edition commenced on 19 November hosted by The Meydan Hotel and convened thought leaders from around the world to discuss issues surrounding gender parity. Her Royal Highness Sheikha Hissah Saad Abdulah Salem Al-Sabah, Council of Arab Businesswomen, Kuwait and Her Excellency Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, headlined day two of the forum with keynote speeches focusing on the need to achieve a great gender balance in the economy. Panel discussions throughout the day focused on women’s empowerment, with a special emphasis on women shaping the future of investments, their role in corporate governance and challenges faced by women in various fields. Other topics included gender imbalances, engaging men in diversity challenges, unconscious biases in workplace and women thriving in scientific fields. In her address on ‘Building capacities: women meeting challenges and exploring opportunities’, Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi said: “I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a witness to such progress in women leadership across all walks of life. It is clear that a lot has been achieved and considerable ground has been covered. It is however also evident that much remains to be achieved in creating the right conditions for women to thrive in business in many parts of the world. If we want to create real lasting change, we need to encourage women to take charge of their own empowerment. This is the only way for us to move ahead, and turn opportunities such as this event into tangible benefits.” In a thought provoking keynote address to open the forum, Her Royal Highness Sheikha Hissah Saad Abdulah Salem Al-Sabah said: “In my life I have had to overcome many challenges but I was incredibly lucky to have been blessed with a supportive family, and visionary parents who served as my mentors and enablers. It is through education that I have been able to become the person I am today and it is through the power of education that I have seen Arab women succeed. Women in the Arab region have come a long way and are now well represented in government roles and the private sector. The gender gap has narrowed down from 33% in 1995 to 14.3% in Kuwait thanks to education. This success is what inspired me and continues to inspire me to this day in my work with the Council of Arab Businesswomen.” Speaking on ‘Making Gains on Gender Goals: Gender Diversity and Inclusion’, Her Excellency Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor said: “Although much progress has been made, gender equality and empowerment continue to elude many women in all parts of the world, particularly at leadership levels. This means that focusing on gender diversity initiatives alone is insufficient to empower and accelerate women’s advancement. More attention must be given to powerful cultural and socio-economic factors that influence and shape the mindsets of both men and women and continue to hinder women’s progress”. As a panelist on ‘What Next Best D&I Practices Look Like – Tools for Cultural Transformation and Leadership’, Kristen Pressner, Vice President, Head of HR Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, Diagnostics Division, said: “Organizations need to actively develop female employees as leaders among their peers for a proper balance between male and female talent. When we develop women with leadership capacities, we are instilling women with the power to create change. Platforms such as the WIL Forum will facilitate the exchange of global and regional experiences, enabling the adoption of best practices for the Middle East and beyond." On day one of WIL, awards were presented by His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cheir Blair Foundation for Women, Zeydan Abuissa, General Manager, Manager, Middle East and Levante, Pfizer, and Sophie Le Ray, CEO, naseba to organizations and individuals for their commitment in inspiring gender parity and encouraging women in leadership. Commenting on their win, Assaf Al-Quraishi, Vice President, Human Resources at Unilever MENA, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as the ‘Most Woman-Friendly Employer – MNC’. Diversity plays a vital role in our ambitious growth agenda and the business case for a more gender balanced workforce for us is clear; with women making up around 80% of our consumer base and 50% of the talent pool that we draw worldwide, a more diverse team allows us to connect with the widest range of consumers, helping take our performance to the next level.” The WIL Forum’s series of initiatives have been actively promoting economic empowerment of women as well as diversity and inclusion in the workplace since its launch in 1999. The event is organized under the patronage of United Nations Global Compact, Women in Global Business and the GCC Board Directors Institute. Event sponsors for the 16th edition include multinational business organizations Pfizer, Roche, Coca-Cola, London Business School, FedEx, Turkish Airlines, AIG and APCO Worldwide. |
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