No human endeavour can succeed to its full potential if it sidelines 50 per cent of the talent available to it. Women are half the human population and it is a serious problem that in too many areas of activity, they do not play an equal role to their male peers. A recent survey of Gulf women in business showed that 80 per cent of women in business felt their sex had put them at a disadvantage, while 67 per cent had experienced gender bias in their career promotion. This means the Gulf is missing out on a vast pool of talent.
Raja Al Gurg manages one of Dubai’s leading commercial groups and is the head of the Business Women’s Council. She is right when she says: “There is no difference between men and women in terms of intelligence and the ability to innovate and to succeed in the world of business.” The issue is that existing leaderships in far too many companies are frightened of appointing women in senior positions.
The way forward is to work from the bottom because a few token senior appointments is not what is needed. Companies must make sure that their recruitment programmes gather the best young male and female talent into their systems. Then they need to promote and encourage women and men to junior and then more senior management positions and it is at this early stage that many women find they do not move ahead as fast as they should. This requires special management attention to make sure no one is blocked at this vital stage. This will mean that when a women is finally near the top echelon of the system, it should be easier to make her a CEO.
Professional development should be gender neutral
Recruitment programmes should ensure that the best male as well as female talents are roped in