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● Cherie Blair Headlines Event
● 16th Edition Spotlights Womenomics
● Global Thought Leaders Convene to Discuss Women Empowerment Issues
Dubai-UAE: 19 November, 2014 – His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy today inaugurated the 16th edition of the Women In Leadership Economic Forum (WIL) in Dubai, and called for greater inclusion of women in key sectors of the economy. The Minister said greater advancements could be made in the area of public and private sector partnership through “the measurement and public reportage of progress achieved in gender equality within organizations”.
In his keynote speech, the Minister of Economy commended the progress achieved by the country to date.
He said: “The UAE as a nation has registered significant milestones in women empowerment. I am very proud to share that the UAE has been ranked number one in the world for respecting women according to a report launched by the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council. We are also ranked first among Arab countries in enabling women in leadership and in parliament according to the Women Studies Center at the Arab Women Establishment in Paris.”
Emphasizing the importance of supporting the economic empowerment of women, Cherie Blair, Founder, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, said: “Women's economic empowerment is not an option, it is imperative to make societies succeed. Women here are recognizing the benefit of becoming an entrepreneur and there are an ever-increasing number of success stories of women who run their own businesses in the UAE. From my experience, it shows that if you give women the right tools, they will absolutely finish the job.”
In her official opening address Margery Kraus, Chairperson of the event and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of APCO Worldwide, said: “That the UAE has swiftly elevated the status of its women within four decades of nationhood speaks volumes for the effective vision of its leadership. Still, in the wise words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ‘the road to excellence is a never-ending journey.' And the UAE has an exciting road ahead.”
Speaking on the theme of the current session, Sophie Le Ray, founder of WIL and CEO of naseba, organizers of the event, said: “At this year's WIL conference, the focus is on knocking down stereotypes and debating the real-life issues women face as they climb the professional ladder. We hope WIL acts as a springboard for new ideas and helps bring about a paradigm shift in conversations regarding gender parity.”
Day-one of the event witnessed thought sessions, panel discussions and workshops focusing on the impact that the integration of women can have on the future of economies, from a womenomics perspective.
A key participant in WIL, Wendy Alexander, Associate Dean, Global Business, London Business School, said: “Businesses today operate in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – sometimes called a VUCA environment. Women are ideally suited to lead in such an environment. Their lives teach them to juggle diverse roles, they are typically adept at managing complexity, coping with ambiguity and bringing clarity to situations characterized by uncertainty.”
Moritz Hartmann, General Manager, Roche Diagnostics Middle East, remarked: “It is only until male leaders experience the power of diversity that they will realize the value of developing their female peers alongside them. I know the value and immeasurable input that is brought to the table when there is a healthy balance between male and female leaders. It is the responsibility of the decision-makers in an organization, who majority-wise are still men, to cultivate this work environment of inclusion and adopt gender diversity as a basic component of their business model.”
The second theme of the day tackled the issue of entrepreneurship, innovation and women as the engines of economic growth and sustainable development.
For Nathalie Amiel-Ferrault, FedEx Vice President, EMEA Customer Experience and MEIA Marketing & Communications, the important learning from such events is that: “as women across the world play an increasing role in non-traditional industries, including logistics, we will continue to create opportunities for more women to work and lead. These opportunities range from supporting SMEs owned by women to offering numerous team members, education and training programs with a focus on gender equality.”
The final session of the day focused on the role of women as both investors and investees.
The inaugural day concluded with an award ceremony that recognized business leaders and organizations for their outstanding contributions to economic development through their focus on women in leadership. Among others, Her Royal Highness Sheikha Hissah Saad Abdulah Salem Al-Sabah, Chairperson of the Council of Arab Businesswomen Kuwait, was honored for her work as a leading woman in the public sector. His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri and Cherie Blair each received honorary achievement awards to mark their contributions to empowering women in their respective fields.
The other award winners included Coca-Cola, Unilever Middle East, Tata Consultancy Services, Badr Jaffar, British Orchard Nursery,
WIL Economic Forum 2014 is underway at The Meydan Hotel under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy. Organized by naseba, a business information company that facilitates business platforms across several industries and five continents for development in emerging markets, the forum has convened thought leaders from around the world to discuss issues relevant to women's empowerment in today's dynamic business landscape. The event places special focus on addressing ‘womenomics' or the need to redesign economies to ensure greater inclusiveness of women in societies. The event concludes on November 20.
The WIL Forum's series of initiatives has 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.
Details on the workshops and speakers are available on www.xx.ae
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