DUBAI: A call to redress underrepresentation of women in the work force, especially in key leadership roles, was made at a forum in Dubai on Monday.
The two-day event entitled “Women in Leadership” brought together women from all over the world, with countries such as the US, France, Switzerland, India and Malaysia taking part. Well-known proponents of social change such as Princess Haya Al-Husein, Christine Lagarde, Kiran Bedi, Fatma Al-Jaber, Salma Hareb and Huda Janahi were among those participating.
Even though women are a majority of university graduates in many countries of the world, they have a low employment rate, said Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the prime minister of Malaysia, in her keynote speech at the opening of the forum. She explained how, despite being intelligent, efficient, hard-working, committed and disciplined, a woman’s journey to the top was still a hard climb, fraught with challenges, many of which are brought on by prejudice and obstinacy on the part of those who feel threatened and insecure.
“Perhaps the time has come for us to give greater emphasis to the need to re-examine and re-engineer the existing expectations of traditional and cultural roles for women, particularly in communities where such expectations have been used to shackle women and prevent them from embracing opportunities that would certainly improve their lot in life,” she said.
Heba Fatani, executive manager for corporate communications at Kingdom Holding Company, supported Datin Paduka’s arguments and added that the biggest barrier was a stubborn male mindset that refused to accept that a woman could, and should, have a role beyond a homemaker.
She questioned how societies such as Saudi Arabia that are attempting to develop can ever achieve their goal without using the talents of half its population.
Fatani, however, was hopeful that under the visionary leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah that the problem would be solved. She cited the example of recent developments in the Kingdom in which the king has championed women’s rights. He has already initiated changes by placing women in some key government positions and some have been appointed advisers to the Shoura Council. This may pave the way for women’s membership on the council.
