The Global WIL Economic Forum has evolved from an emphasis on women in leadership (WIL) to a wider community of business influencers. What is the central theme of the forum this year?
As we realised that we were limiting the positive impact of the forum by only looking at the challenges women face, we decided to theme the conference around our central topic, ‘The Butterfly Effect – From Intent to Impact’. This would include conversations around key areas such as diversity and inclusion. However, getting more women in the work force remains our priority as always.
What according to you is the ‘need of the hour’ when it comes to bringing more women into the work force?
Across the GCC, women account for up to 60 per cent of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students in some universities – higher than Europe and US. Therefore, we need to ensure that we are enabling these women to enter the workforce and maintain careers in their respective sectors.
What challenges do women in leadership still face?
Unconscious and implicit bias is a major challenge all over the world. Often it is a case of women battling hundreds of years of pre-constructed biases to find their footing among male counterparts. The pay gap remains one of the biggest challenges.
Where do you see the women workforce in the UAE by 2020?
I hope to see even more women in senior leadership roles, but crucially I hope to see more female entrepreneurs and small business owners driving innovation across the UAE.
