Dubai: The Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ducab for ongoing partnership and collaboration towards empowering Emirati women in the workplace, especially in the private sector. The MoU also marks DWE’s first partnership with an entity from the private sector.
The agreement will see Ducab sponsor the annual Women Leadership Exchange Programme (WLEP) organised by DWE in collaboration with the Women for Sustainable Growth (W4SG) network and Sweden-based Mil Institute.
The MoU was signed at the premises of DWE by Mona Ganem Al Merri, Chairperson of the Board of DWE, and Dr Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Chairman of Ducab, the leading cable manufacturing company in the region.
The agreement identifies specific areas of cooperation between DWE and Ducab to support WLEP and will see Ducab enrol as a key strategic partner on the pioneering developmental initiative, which aims to enhance the leadership capabilities of women in the UAE through the sharing of knowledge on sustainable leadership practices and through acquainting them with findings of the latest research in the field of leadership and cross-cultural communication.
“The corporate sector has a vital role to play in the social and economic development of the UAE, and Ducab’s support of the Women Leadership Exchange Programme — which was launched under the direction of Shaikha Manal Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who is also President of DWE — underlines the growing trend among public and private organisations to invest directly in leadership and developmental programmes with a view to foster the next generation of female leaders who will move the nation forward,” said Mona.
She added, “A greater role for women in decision-making is fundamental to the national vision outlined by the wise leadership of the UAE, and being the first and foremost programme of its kind in the Middle East, the Women Leadership Exchange Programme has set itself the ambitious goal of bringing Emirati women to the forefront in all spheres of social and economic life by equipping them with the skills, resources and exposure needed to succeed in their careers and occupy high-ranking positions. Our strategic partnership with Ducab is an important step that will take us closer towards realising our goals.”
Commenting on the factors that guided Ducab to partner with DWE on the programme, Dr Al Shaikh said: “Our company is committed to supporting women in leadership, in alignment with the UAE leadership’s key priorities, as outlined at the UAE Government Summit. As Exclusive Sponsor of the Programme for 2015, and the first company to provide support of this kind, we aim to encourage more women to explore the potential of the nation’s industrial sector by raising awareness of the employment opportunities we offer, while inspiring other companies to consider women’s empowerment at the top of their priorities.”
As part of the agreement, a representative from Ducab will henceforth be part of the WLEP selection committee. The MoU also entails cooperation between the two entities in implementing organisational practices and initiatives supporting a women-friendly environment in the workplace.
