DUBAI, NAMA Women Advancement Establishment has reinforced its call for collective and tangible actions to further support gender-responsive businesses to make significant steps in women’s economic participation.
The panel discussion, held in partnership with the Pearl Initiative, entitled ‘Promoting Business Sustainability Through Women in Leadership,’ hosted recently at the Women’s Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai, was attended by over 30 CEOs and business leaders in the Gulf, who emphasized the need for developing competencies, allocating resources, strengthening accountability and setting gender equality objectives. Members on the panel included Patrick Chalhoub, Group President, Chalhoub Group; Muna Al Gurg, Director of Retail, Al Gurg Group; Dr. Patrick Allman-Ward, CEO of Dana Gas; and Huda Al Lawati, Founder and CEO, Aliph Capital.
Panel members outlined strategic business opportunities and meaningful and sustainable change that could be unlocked by enhancing gender equality in the workplace. The panel also stressed the importance of monitoring and assessing progress to ensure the sustainable implementation and enforcement of gender mainstreaming strategies.
During the 90-minute discussion, moderated by Ranya Saadawi, Executive Director at the Pearl Initiative, NAMA urged leaders in the private sector to drive value for business and society by boosting gender parity in leadership and decision-making through this discussion, which was held at EXPO 2020 Dubai. Business leaders in the Gulf region and other participants were also encouraged to shape sustainable pathways to help create an environment where women can achieve their full potential.
In a keynote address, Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA, commended the UAE for its strong commitment to gender equality and dedicating an entire pavilion to women, for the first time in the history of a World Expo.
NAMA’s ongoing efforts towards creating a level playing field for women in the economy led to the recent launch of a ‘Women’s Inclusion Toolkit’, developed under its Irtiqa platform. The action-oriented and practical toolkit enables businesses in the MENA region to take planned action in applying gender responsive practices to advance women’s equality in the workplace.
Source: Emirates News Agency