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UAE sees emergence of more women entrepreneurs

Dubai - The share of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) course enrollments by women in the UAE increased from 33 per cent pre-pandemic to 41 per cent in 2020.

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The growing talent pool in the UAE has seen the emergence of more women entrepreneurs striving to scale their multi-tasking skills to boost career growth and development, said the experts at Women Leadership Summit 2021.

The in-person event was attended by Salwa Abdulaziz Zein, CEO at the Private Office of  Sheikh Ahmed bin Faisal Al Qassimi and Tim Balgobin, Royal Family Advisor, Private office of Sheikh Ahmed bin Faisal Al Qassimi.

Nousheen Mukhtar CEO, YES Gulf, said: “Women in leadership in view refers to women who have taken charge of their lives and are willing to pursue their hearts’ bidding because they believe in themselves, their talent, skills, and merits. These leaders are confident that they are the best changemakers working to bring more to the world.”

The UAE women are encouraged to take leadership roles, especially in the present times when the SME ecosystem is healthy and thriving on diverse talent. There are several government-led initiatives to empower women and allow them to work towards economic as well as personal independence. Some include the new licenses at very affordable prices that allow women to run home-based small businesses and work while they take care of the family.

Dubai-based, Sandi Saksena, empowerment mentor and recipient of ‘Women of Positive Influence 2021’, advises that while it is nice to be inspired by those around you the key is in curating your style and daring to do things differently.

“The key is to never take your eye off the budget as spending can skyrocket out of control very quickly. Close the spending gap and get profitable, methodically and predictably, over time. Plan well put in the work early it will set you up for sustainable success. Each woman, each founder, has her own story. Identify your unique value proposition offer a solution to what the customer is looking for to solve their problems. Don’t compromise on your values as this sets the tone for your vision, company culture. To lead a business, it should be clear to you why you’re doing this and what you’re doing it for. With clarity, everything flows.”

Endorsing a similar view, James Michael Lafferty CEO Fine Hygiene Holdings, said: “In our business, an estimated 75 per cent of purchase decisions are made by women. This fact means achieving gender diversity is a strategic imperative, a core business strategy. And this means having female leadership at every level of the company. from entry-level to the highest echelons.”

The outbreak of Covid-19 and its impact spelled challenges to women as remote working became new normal compelling masses to rethink how they balance work and home. Dr Asiya Nabi of Prime Medical Center, said: “This multi-tasking ability is what has encouraged and helped women to take up more and more roles in the modern society.”

According to Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2021, the UAE ranks #1 in the MENA region and #2 globally in overall business skills, only after Luxemburg. This year’s study draws on performance data since the pandemic’s onset from more than 77 million learners on the platform to benchmark skills proficiency across the business, technology, and data science for over 100 countries. The share of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) course enrollments by women in the UAE increased from 33 per cent pre-pandemic to 41 per cent in 2020. — sandhya@khaleejtimes.com