Middle Eastern Female Inclusion and Leadership
The second Arab women’s leadership Forum sought to accelerate the pace of Arab women’s inclusion in the workplace. Keynote speakers included Selma Aliye Kavaf, Turkey’s Minister for Women and Family Affairs, and Aseel Al-Awadhi, member of Parliament for Kuwait. The sessions centered on how to update antiquated and inflexible work structures to better integrate women and allow them to progress to top jobs. As for the turnout, an eye-opening 600 women drawn from the senior ranks of governments, NGOs and private firms attended from all across the Middle East.
May Al Dabbagh, director at the Dubai School of Government, said many work environments are fraught with stereotypes about Arab women, both in Dubai and elsewhere. Close to 70% of college graduates in Dubai are now female and many of these women are committed professionals. A major new study by the Center for Work-Life Policy to be released in June 2010 finds that: UAE women love their jobs and display enviable levels of dedication to their work, with 90% willing to go the extra mile for their companies, 92% of UAE women aspire to hold a top job and their level of ambition is nearly 2.5 times that of their American counterparts and on par with their male peers.
These findings are gradually being realised in Saudi Arabia through the election of Lama al-Sulaiman, a Saudi businesswoman, as Deputy Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce. In a country where women form only 15% of the workforce, this election was historic as she became the first woman to hold such a post. With women forming 60% of college graduates, the king is pushing to raise women’s employment in an effort to help diversify the economy. 12 women advisers have also been appointed to the Shoura Council, a royal consultative body composed of 150 male advisers.
