International Women's Day: The strength of a woman

To celebrate International Women's Day, Arti Dani spoke to some Dubai-based 'superwomen' about their inspirations and challenges

Nora Al-Ramadhan
Nora is one of the Kuwaiti sisters who are behind Apotheca, a company that brings niche beauty brands to the region.


Which person has inspired you the most in your life and why?
I can't say that there has been just one person that has inspired me throughout my life. However, I have found inspiration in several women, and actually some of the women we at Apotheca work with, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills and Sarah Chapman. Women who came from humble beginning and a staff of simply, "themselves" before building the magnificent empires we know of today. Not only were these women able to succeed, but they were able completely change the way certain industries operate and totally set new trends! I find it incredible impressive when entrepreneurs are able to build a company from scratch, grow exponentially, and maintain that growth over several years.
 
Do you think with changing times, females are getting their due in their career or you think there is still a long way to go?
I believe that the landscape for females in the workforce is incredibly supportive, available, and accepting. Where I think that there is more progress to be made is in relation to ageism - young female entrepreneurs coming into the industry in their 20s or early 30s, and working with people who are more mature in age yet share the same title. It is more challenging to gain credibility, and deal with certain professionals because of this, despite education levels.
However, in regards to Apotheca, our youthfulness has played out to be one of our advantages, and led to where we are today. We are young, driven women with our finger always on the pulse. We are so fortunate to find that the other women in this region recognize and accept that.
 
What are the challenges that you faced in your career?
There is a range of challenges in our line of business - such as legal processes and product registrations can take a lot of time and be difficult to complete, particularly when we enter new countries. It has often been challenging to be taken seriously in male dominated societies. Also hiring is always difficult, and finding quality staff willing to work as hard as we do can be a challenge. Probably the largest challenge, though, is educating the market on the importance of skin-care being equal to that of cosmetics.
We overcome all challenges by simply being persistent and working hard to achieve our targeted goal. We constantly brainstorm new ways of working, and since we are a lean company it is easy for us to quickly implement change. There is no task that we are too proud to do ourselves, as long as it is in the best interest of the company.
 
What message would you like to give to those females who are trying to make it to the top?
An important, yet very practical and even obvious piece of advice, would be to do their homework as much as possible. Gaining knowledge in a market you are about to enter and having a competitive advantage is crucial. Understanding the market - particularly your customers - allows you to formalize your own vision of where, in the already existing market, you see where your business fits.
If as a female, you are struggling to balance work with family obligations, the way we go about it is setting clear priorities. We have clear schedules and plans for every day - 50-70% of the tasks actually get accomplished that day, but we are okay with that. It is important to feel very confident about yourself and what you can do, therefore you do not feel guilty when choices are made. Guilt is the worst and is unproductive, which eventually manifests anger.
 
 
Acaena Amoros and Mahi Aramideh 
Acaena Amoros and Mahi Aramideh opened The Elixir Clinic in 2013 in the UK and later in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Who inspired you the most in your life?
Right from our childhood, our parents have been our role models. Their dedication to their jobs, the hard work that they put in and their disciplined lifestyle are some of the qualities that have inspired us and led us to believe these are some of the quintessential principles for a successful life. Moreover, their humaneness and respect for all have influenced us to be kind to one another and treat people, as we would want ourselves to be treated.

Are women getting their due in
their career?
We believe that today, women have come a long way and have carved a niche for themselves. They have much more opportunities at their disposal. This is a generalisation of course, but we feel that much more could be achieved if more women were in positions of influence and power and were recognised for their abilities and weren't so modest in their achievements. We believe this new breed of role models will empower the young women of tomorrow.

Any challenges that you've faced?
Some of the challenges we faced were moving to a completely new region to grow our business and educating people about IV VitaDrips and the importance of it in our lives. We founded The Elixir Clinic in 2013 in the UK. We soon expanded our business to the Middle East as we opened up our wellness centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, educating people with the benefits of our new integrated medicine and luxury treatments. Finding the structure to do it all and not feeling overwhelmed was one of the tests plus, the time vs money trap, which is a big one, especially when you are starting out. Managing a team of very creative and hardworking individuals has been a sheer learning curve for both of us. We are really so lucky to have such a dynamic and committed team - both in London and in the UAE.

Your message for all women.
Passion, hard work and resilience are the key ingredients to success, our young women who will one day hold the top positions need to learn this. If the young women of today are willing to put their all into what they do, they will achieve. Women have a lot to contribute to the world. Go for it! Whatever your dreams and ambitions are, never give up.
Esther Eden
Esther is our favourite artist from the UAE. This singer-songwriter made it on her own at a very young age.

Who inspired you the most in your life?
My mother! Throughout her lifetime, my mother worked in several lines of profession such as singing, banking and many more. Today, she works a 9-6 job, manages me as an artist AND is a single mother. She pushes me past my limits to help me discover that I already had it in me. She taught me to work hard for my dreams and rise from the ashes like a "Phoenix". She has raised me to be kind and grateful. Living and breathing proof of what a woman is capable of, my mother has always aimed high and has inspired me to do the same.

Are women getting their due in their career?
There are parts of the world where women are paid lower salaries than men for the same work. However, compared to the past, people are recognising inequality and taking action against it for instance, the #HeForShe campaign by Emma Watson. I do feel women in the UAE are encouraged to strive for the best and break barriers.

Any  challenges that you faced?
I started my career around 2-3 years ago. Being a young singer, there were quite a few challenges. I could not perform a few shows and I'm still not allowed into few music venues because of the age restriction. Also, money can be a challenge. Not only for me but for artists in general. Producing music, shooting videos, photos for media and creating an artist brand can get very expensive.

Your message for women?
Regardless of whether you are a man or woman, making it to the top requires time, determination and perseverance. If people don't listen, prove it with your actions!
Debbie Baisley
Debbie is a British yoga instructor at Motion Fitness Ladies Center in Dubai.

Who inspired you the most in your life? My family are my biggest inspiration; my parents have always been fabulous role models who taught me to always work hard and never give up. My husband is also a great inspiration in the way he always manages to balance his professional and personal life. He makes everyone around him happy, giving me and the boys a great life.

Are women getting their due in their career? Definitely. I'm sure in some industries there is still a long way to go for women.  However, in the fitness industry, women have great opportunities and I work with some very strong talented females on a daily basis.

What are the challenges that you faced in your career?
Trying to find the balance between work and family has always been my hardest challenge. My boys have a very hectic schedule with their football, so sometimes, I am driving them around for a few hours a day which means catching up with work in the evenings.  Also trying to find a little bit of me time is sometimes impossible!

Your message for women
 If you have a dream or a goal in mind never give up, keep going even on the toughest days when you feel like everything is going against you.  
 
Sara Al Madani
Sara Al Madani is a fashion designer, entrepreneur and founder of Sara Al Madani Fashion Design. In 2014, she was selected as a board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


Who inspired you the most in your life?
When I first started, I was 15. Back then, there wasn't a lot of women that I could look up to because I was very young and I couldn't understand all these things. But I remember what I wanted to do is to be strong and to be in charge of what I am doing, and just trying to do what I wanted to do. I had a goal which is to change the way women look at traditional clothes, and I had no one back then to inspire me because I was at such a young age so I didn't understand these things. But right now, a lot of women do inspire me. For example, Oprah, Queen Rania, Michelle Obama, a lot of women inspire me. Any women regardless if she is known or unknown, even if I just bump into her on the streets and hear her story and how she survived, worked, and accomplished a dream, she inspires me. So, any women who accomplished a dream inspires me.
Are women getting their due in their careers?
I think there is a drastic change in the way the world is looking at females, and where females are reaching around the world. But, do we have a long way to go? Yes, we do have a long way to go because it is not an easy change or an overnight change. You are changing mindsets, and there is going to be so much resistance. You are changing rules, perceptions, and expectations; all these things, they take time and it is not an overnight change. But definitely, we are going towards the right way.
 
Any challenges you've faced?
The challenges I faced throughout my career was having to prove myself at a young age that I can do something, for people to take me seriously. Definitely being a woman back then was a hassle as well, because it wasn't a woman's world back then. Other challenges are competition, being able to adapt to change, and adapting change, including innovation at work, and constantly researching. Consumers are very intelligent now, and you cannot just fool them easily by presenting them a product that is not updated. So, it is a challenge for me, I have to always update myself with the latest trends to give the client the quality needed.
 
What message would you like to give to those females who are trying to make it to the top?
My message to all the females out there is to believe in yourself. There is no reason why you shouldn't be doing anything in this world, at this moment, because there are so many opportunities for women out there; grasp every opportunity you have, abuse and use every chance you get to reach to your dreams. Resources are available all around, there is no excuse. Therefore, I cannot find any excuse for women not to do so. I have a son that I take care of, I have three businesses, and I am a board member in two governments, and still nothing can stop me from doing what I want. So, I don't want women to find children, or family, or a job as an excuse for them not to accomplish their dreams because in the end you are your own wall and no one can stop you but yourself.
 
 
Nazek El-Atab

Nazek is a PhD candidate at Masdar Institute. She has won the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship 2015 & for Women in Science International Rising Talents 2017.
Who inspired you the most in your life?
My family, school teachers and university professors all played a critical role in inspiring me to become a successful scientist. My family's endless support, my teachers mentoring, guidance and enthusiasm towards science and research inspired and motivated me to study and thrive through excellence in Microsystems Engineering and Nanotechnology fields.
And now that I have become a scientist, what inspires me to continue being successful is actually my motivation and my passion towards my research topic itself, since it allows me to contribute to society, add to science, and make a difference in the world, no matter how small it is. In fact, my research topic is about the fabrication of nano-materials that will help in reducing the energy consumption in current memory devices, and therefore, leading to a more sustainable world.
 
Are women getting their due in their careers?
Although the current situation of scientist/working women is much better than any previous time, and aside from all of the women's achievements that have been reached, in many cases, women find themselves forced to give up on their ambitions and resign from their demanding jobs in order to be fully devoted to their homes and children. Since women still struggle in finding the balance between their career and their role as mothers/wives, the decision-makers should work on passing and enforcing laws that do justice to women's rights such as fair maternity leaves and flexible/reduced working hours, etc.  
In addition, till now, there are still some communities where women are still considered as inferior and unable to intellectually compete with men. In such communities, women are expected to have a single ambition in their life which is to get married as early as possible and take good care of their families.
Shedding light on the achievements of women in the different fields plays a critical role in raising the intellectual awareness among individuals all over the world and proving that women have the mental abilities that allow them to succeed and contribute to society. There exist several international organizations/programs that honor, spot the achievements of women, and fund their research such as the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science program. I would like to take the opportunity and acknowledge this program in specific which awarded me the Middle East Fellowship in 2015. This fellowship allowed me to do high-impact research at Stanford University in the USA and make huge progress in my PhD research, where I was able to fabricate memory devices with Zirconia nano-islands that can operate with only 4 V instead of the 7 V required by current memory devices.
And very recently, I was selected for the 2017 International Rising Talents award by the same organization; the awards distribution ceremony will take place in Paris on the 23^rd of March, 2017.
It feels very rewarding and satisfying to know that there are such organizations that recognize women's work and efforts. Such programs, by shedding light on women's achievements and by honoring them, act as a source of inspiration to a lot of women who gave up on their dreams because they did not have enough confidence in their own abilities as females.
 
Any challenges you've faced?
 
The challenges that I faced during my studies and work as a researcher in the field of microsystems engineering are mainly related to the nature of the work such as failing after spending several hours and days in the laboratory working on some experiments, which can be very frustrating. However, my ambition and determination to succeed allowed me to overcome all the obstacles.
It is worth mentioning that although the field I work in is considered to be male-dominated, however, I haven't faced any gender-related problems and I have always been assessed and judged based on my intellectual abilities, efforts and achievements. This shows the heightened level of intellectual awareness among the nationals and residents of the UAE.
 
What message would you like to give to those females who are trying to make it to the top?
 
Although some communities still consider women as inferior individuals who are unable to develop the needed scientific/professional/managerial skills and contribute to society, however, this shouldn't hinder women from setting their own goals and working hard to achieve them. The same way many women managed to succeed and excel in the different scientific/economic/literary fields all over the world, any woman can shine as well through determination, perseverance, hard work, and faith. In addition, it is very important to choose a field that we are most passionate and motivated about, because only then, we can become leaders instead of followers.
Therefore, women shouldn't give up to obstacles, instead they should fight for their right to learn, work, achieve their goals and contribute to society so that we can change the way communities view us.
 
(arti@khaleejtimes.com)

Sara Al Madani

Esther Eden