'Embrace the unknown and enter your dis-comfort zone'

'Embrace the unknown and enter your dis-comfort zone':  Inaugural Women in Society conference reveals the secrets for professional success

DUBAI, 10th November, 2014:  ‘Don't be afraid to walk through unknown doors and push through the zone of dis-comfort,' was the message from Dr. Susan Montaquila, one of a number of inspiring female speakers who took to the stage at the inaugural conference on Women in Society, hosted by Canadian University of Dubai.

Recounting her ‘four lives' in the law profession, Dr. Montaquila, Dean of the University's School of Business Administration,  described how starting out as a woman in a male-dominated business saw her assigned some of the toughest jobs in the office, but ultimately helped her develop an enviable portfolio of expertise in various aspects of international law.

“With every new job came a new challenge in a different area of legal practice,” she said, “from corporate and finance law to aviation and even Sharia law, everything I learnt was self-taught.

“But all that I did learn has brought me to where I am today. To learn, we have to walk through doors and take risks. Ultimately we will only ever regret the doors we did not walk through.” Dr. Montaquila concluded.

Also taking centre-stage at the conference were Elissa Freiha and Chantalle Dumonceaux from the new female-focused business angels network, Womena. Carrying forward the message ‘don't let fear stand in your way', Elissa and Chantalle uncovered the tangible impact that women can have in the business world.

“Research shows that companies with women on their boards produce a higher return on investment”, Chantalle revealed, “both genders bring different perspectives and by working together they can achieve greater success.”

The conference, which was organized by Dr. Franziska Apprich and Ms. Amanda Aridi from the Canadian University of Dubai's School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, brought together a mixed audience of men and women from the university community and beyond. 

Ms. Aridi said, “The vision for this conference was to create a comfortable, fair, and open environment for both female and male students to discuss and emphasize the importance of support, encouragement, understanding, and education now and always, whether it be in a school environment, a work environment, or in our daily lives.” 

The program touched not only the professional positions of women in society, but also reflected on their roles in art, poetry, writing and public speaking.

A lecturer of Art History, Ms. Aridi, spoke about the portrayal of women in historical art and how it contrasts with the modern-day depiction of ‘beauty', particularly in contemporary advertising and media.

Dr. Jeanette Teh, professor of business, reflected on the stories of a range of female role models in society – from Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, to the youngest ever Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai – concluding that, with self-belief, everyone can find their own way to be powerful.

Dr. Louse Lambert, an expert in positive psychology, brought another dimension to the debate, discussing the need for a rebalance between the ‘rule books' of men and women, while Dr. Kathy O'Sullivan spoke about women's use of the art of poetry in telling stories and expressing emotions that speak across cultures.

Dr. Joanna Seraphim went on to share the initial findings of her research into the changing roles of women and Ms. Farah Albash provided her insights into the key ingredients for successful public speaking.

The conference was brought to a close by student Nada Maatar, who received a standing ovation for her passionate presentation on Hoda Barakat and her role in pushing the boundaries of Arabic literature.

Reflecting on the conference, Dr. Apprich, Dean of the Schools of Liberals Arts and Sciences, and Health and Environment, said, “After the event I saw women with a smile on their face and a rose in their hand. They were relieved; felt understood, heard and shared their stories. We noticed that we had encountered similar situations, had made similar experiences and now (together) could laugh about them.

“The key message was that we can all support each other – only then can we live fulfilled lives and ‘smell the roses'. If we do not speak up, nobody will know how we feel and nothing will change. Change can be a good thing.”