Female leaders from the Middle East come together at the INSEAD Abu Dhabi campus to discuss the empowerment of women and their contributions to society
INSEAD, the leading international business school, celebrated International Women’s Day 2015 by hosting influential female leaders from the Middle East at a half-day seminar at its Abu Dhabi campus. The event, entitled ‘Inspire, Impact, Empower’, featured a number of prominent female figures who have made important contributions to society in areas such as business, social entrepreneurship, academia and health.
The participants gathered to address the role of women in the Middle East region, which is undergoing substantial change from year to year. In the World Economic Forum’s The Global Gender Gap 2014, a ranking of gender equality across countries, the UAE scored 0.64 – where 0 is total inequality and 1 is total equality – compared with 0.63 last year, and ranked high in education and literacy among women.
Inspirational speakers at the event included Hebret Abahoy (Gender Specialist, AGP-AMDe project implemented by ACDI/VOCA), Dana Al Hammadi (First Emirati Woman to reach the South Pole), Haif Zamzam Al Hammadi (MBA’13J) (Private Food & Beverage Investor and Entrepreneurial Consultant), Salam Hamzeh Ghaith (Founder & President, SmallWorld), Sonal Kapoor (Founder, CEO & Creative Director, PROTSAHAN India Foundation), Houriya Kazim (Medical Director and Consultant Breast Surgeon, Well Woman Clinic).
Erin Meyer Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, who led the discussions during the seminar, commented on the occasion: “Women prove themselves every day in vital fields such as education, business, public service, and entrepreneurship. We have come a long way to reduce social barriers and ensure equal opportunities for both genders in terms of education, job opportunities, social status and political participation. While there is still more that can be done, especially in terms of women’s roles as key decision makers and political leaders, we know that we have laid the fundamentals that will ensure a brighter future for women and the world”.
Miguel Lobo, Associate Professor of Decision Sciences, Director of Abu Dhabi campus, added: “Today’s event is just a reminder of what women –particularly in this region have accomplished in every aspect of our social, business and political life. UAE leadership is actively supporting women through business and political empowerment programmes that encourage creativity, talent, initiative and decision-making. We all recognise women’s contributions in today’s society
and economy, and at INSEAD we are proud to help inspire, impact and empower the women leaders of tomorrow”.
Houriya Kazim who is a Medical Director and Consultant at Breast Surgeon Well Woman Clinic and the country’s first surgeon remarked: “If we are looking for a tool for the betterment of the society, then the answer is women empowerment and leadership. Today I have many more opportunities than my mother had thirty years ago and I trust my daughters will have even more. Looking at tomorrow’s business leaders I am expecting to see a lot more women in this role”.
Haif Zamzan Al Hammadi, the first female Emirati to complete her MBA at INSEAD, and an entrepreneurial consultant today, commented on the occasion of the seminar: “I am delighted to be part of this panel of inspirational women leaders and exchange our experiences and views on women’s empowerment. Each of us has a story to share that attests to the power of female leaders to make meaningful contributions to society.”
