UAE among top progressive nations for women game changers, says Naseba CEO

Sophie Le Ray, CEO, Naseba

The UAE is among the top progressive nations for women game changers, and is striving to curb the gender parity, said Sophie Le Ray, chief executive officer of Naseba on Tuesday, on the sidelines of announcing the details of the 18th Global Women in Leadership (WIL) Economic Forum 2016.
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, will discuss the vital role of women in driving sustained economic growth at the forum which will gather the region's community of female leaders and innovators.
Al Mansouri said: "The UAE has emerged as a role model for gender parity in the region by creating a nurturing environment and paving the way for women to effectively contribute to national progress, which has been made possible through the strong support provided by the country's leadership. We continue to encourage women to take increased responsibility in national progress, while also further empowering them through the forum." In the wake of the UAE government's recent strides towards workplace gender parity, women in the country and the wider Middle East are participating more actively in the regional economy and the workforce. For the past seven years, WIL has provided a platform for women in the Middle East to support female leadership and create a more gender-balanced society. "It is indeed commendable that UAE women have helped the nation evolve as a most progressive hub, giving men and women an equal platform to pursue their personal and national goals of growth," said Le Ray. "Naseba is right now coaching corporates on how to deal with maternity among women employees as more and more women are making strides in senior positions at corporate as well as government level."
The multinational business facilitation company Naseba announced that the 18th edition of the forum will take place at the in Dubai on October 24-25, 2016, and will be held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy for the third consecutive year.
The forum will gather 500 global stakeholders to champion gender parity and support women in leadership. Under the theme 'The Future of Everything', the forum will explore three main pillars: game-changers, future builders and story tellers. Game-changers speaking at the forum are individuals leading the wave of change and organisations embracing diversity as part of their culture, including Chetna Sinha, founder and chairwoman of the Mann Deshi Foundation, which is providing vital microfinance services to women in rural India.
Lucy D'Abo, managing director of Edelman Dabo Experiential, who turned her vision of a new communications model into a successful business; and Lina Khalifeh, the stereotype-crushing founder and owner of SheFighter, a self-defence club for women that has become a sensation in Jordan.
The forum has evolved beyond solely supporting the empowerment of women. It has become a platform for women to openly and honestly discuss their professional and personal challenges, and a platform for building a global community of men and women who are breaking boundaries, making waves and creating a future where creativity, innovation and talent will be valued far more than gender, nationality, or age.
Describing the newest additions, Le Ray added: "This year, we have included specialised workshops to further engage the audience, and initiated new collaborations with the arts and culture community through our recent partnership with Al Serkal Avenue and universities. Arts and education are both essential components of a diverse, tolerant society. By creating an even more inclusive platform and including young minds in the programme, we aim to continue building bridges between communities and support transparent dialogue amongst them."
Additionally, the forum will highlight successful diversity and inclusion efforts by major corporations, including Roche Diagnostics, where 31 percent of its leadership roles in the Middle East are occupied by women - an accomplishment that comes as a result of the continued investment the company places in the development of leadership skills of all its employees. In addition, 40 percent of Roche's workforce worldwide are female - a rare feat in any company; especially in one with over 91,000 employees across the 7 continents.
The Global WIL Economic Forum will also provide the setting for the Global WIL achievement awards ceremony, which honours leading businesswomen, thought leaders, male champions of change and leading organisations for recognising the value of workplace gender parity and diversity. - sandhya @khaleejtimes.com