Across the Middle East, women are
breaking new ground in the business
world: establishing companies,
expanding into new markets and taking
on high-level corporate positions.
Yet one important difference remains
between them and their male
counterparts and it's holding their sisters
back — a reluctance to be public about
their accomplishments.
Many of the most successful Arab women
remain low-profile, focusing on work
rather than publicising their successes
through interviews, blogs, columns and
conferences. Some say it's time for that
to change, so that other women have
visible and strong reminders of what
women can accomplish, even in
patriarchal societies.
As it is, there are few female role models
in the region. Laws and social norms still
generally favour men. And some
businesses openly recruit only men for
high-level positions and although it is
changing in some parts of the region,
families often lend their support only to
their sons in education and work
initiatives.
"I see a lot of women who are invisible,
but their strength is incredible. I think,
what if these women put their energy and
intelligence into something more visible
and scalable for the rest of the world,"
said Reem Asaad, a former banker
turned entrepreneur in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, who writes about financial
planning for women as a columnist at
Destination Jeddah. "I see myself as a
role model for everyone."
Asaad has dedicated herself to
empowering Middle Eastern women by
teaching them the importance of
financial independence. Through her
writing and workshops, she also teaches
"invisible" women how they contribute
to society. For Asaad, it's all about
leading what she calls a "soft revolution".
"I know a woman who… remains a
homemaker by choice because she lacks
the confidence to make a difference in
her community," said Asaad. "If I can
raise awareness with these women and
the upcoming generation, I could leave a
footprint for (them)."
Seeing themselves in others
When women have role models, they
may be more likely to enter the
workforce, bringing talents and skills
that benefit everyone, say experts.
Women in the Middle East and North
Africa, on average, are more likely than
men to attend university, but their
labour participation rate is only 26%, far
less than the 39% average for lower and
middle-income countries, according to
theWorld Bank. That is a sign that
many well-qualified women aren't
entering the workforce.
"If women don't see other women who've
made it, they might think [having a
career] isn't for them," said Beirut-based
Dima Dabbous, senior consultant on
media and gender at the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation. "It's precisely because we
don't see them in business at the top of
the echelon that there's the idea that
women can't make it in a male-
dominated field."
Networking is one way Dabbous suggests
successful Arab women should raise
their profile. She also encourages women
to pursue high-level positions even if
they have families, so others can see they
don't need to choose between career and
family, she said. "Plenty of women have
achieved both," said Dabbous.
Mentors and coaches
Mentors are also vital for Middle Eastern
women's career success. While this can
be helpful anywhere in the world, it is
especially important in places where
there are few visible examples of women
in prominent positions.
Majd Shweikeh, Jordan's new minister of
information and communications
technology, believes strongly in the
power of mentoring. The former chief
executive officer of VTEL previously
counselled student entrepreneurs with
the non-governmental, volunteer-based
education organisation, Injaz . She also
established a regional corporate coaching
firm called Musharek, in 2013. Many of
Shweikeh's clients have been women,
who, while often well qualified, needed
help navigating and standing out in the
corporate world.
While there are certainly obstacles in
society, Shweikeh has found that women
sometimes hold themselves back.
"I've witnessed challenges that came my
way, and I'm a strong believer that it's all
about our minds," said Shweikeh. "The
challenge is to prove yourself. Not all
women accept this challenge. They need
to have the right fighting spirit to prove
themselves. It's not always something
that comes naturally."
Hala Fadel, head of the Beirut-based MIT
Enterprise Forum in the Pan-Arab
Region, an alumni network that hosts
technology conferences and
competitions, agrees that women should
make themselves more visible — even as
she, herself, struggles with discomfort of
being in the spotlight.
"I was on TV, but I didn't tell anyone,"
said Fadel. "I almost didn't want anyone
to see it. I know that if my husband were
on TV, he would have told all his
friends."
With her daughters, however, she hasn't
hesitated to bring them into the office to
show them what she does. She wants her
daughters and others to know it's
possible to work and raise a family. And
with her new venture, she is happy that
two of the four partners are women and
most of the Beirut office consists of
female employees.
She hopes that high female employment,
particularly women-run firms, will one
day be the norm. "I want people to think
it's natural," Fadel said.
Once some more prominent or successful
women shed their fear of exposure,
others might do the same. Asaad, the
personal finance specialist, notes that she
was one of the first women in Saudi
Arabia to assume a non-traditional role
at a large bank as an executive associate.
Before, women were mostly relegated to
clerical positions.
"I was the guinea pig for experimenting
with women. I had to portray and carry
myself and meet certain expectations,"
Asaad said. "Today, if you go to that
same institution, the chief financial
officer of that same bank [National
Commercial Bank] is a woman. The chief
executive officer of the investment arm is
also a woman. What people don't know
is, there were people like me who went
through a lot. Nothing will happen unless
we go to the front lines."
www.josiahdele.blogspot.com
breaking new ground in the business
world: establishing companies,
expanding into new markets and taking
on high-level corporate positions.
Yet one important difference remains
between them and their male
counterparts and it's holding their sisters
back — a reluctance to be public about
their accomplishments.
Many of the most successful Arab women
remain low-profile, focusing on work
rather than publicising their successes
through interviews, blogs, columns and
conferences. Some say it's time for that
to change, so that other women have
visible and strong reminders of what
women can accomplish, even in
patriarchal societies.
As it is, there are few female role models
in the region. Laws and social norms still
generally favour men. And some
businesses openly recruit only men for
high-level positions and although it is
changing in some parts of the region,
families often lend their support only to
their sons in education and work
initiatives.
"I see a lot of women who are invisible,
but their strength is incredible. I think,
what if these women put their energy and
intelligence into something more visible
and scalable for the rest of the world,"
said Reem Asaad, a former banker
turned entrepreneur in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, who writes about financial
planning for women as a columnist at
Destination Jeddah. "I see myself as a
role model for everyone."
Asaad has dedicated herself to
empowering Middle Eastern women by
teaching them the importance of
financial independence. Through her
writing and workshops, she also teaches
"invisible" women how they contribute
to society. For Asaad, it's all about
leading what she calls a "soft revolution".
"I know a woman who… remains a
homemaker by choice because she lacks
the confidence to make a difference in
her community," said Asaad. "If I can
raise awareness with these women and
the upcoming generation, I could leave a
footprint for (them)."
Seeing themselves in others
When women have role models, they
may be more likely to enter the
workforce, bringing talents and skills
that benefit everyone, say experts.
Women in the Middle East and North
Africa, on average, are more likely than
men to attend university, but their
labour participation rate is only 26%, far
less than the 39% average for lower and
middle-income countries, according to
theWorld Bank. That is a sign that
many well-qualified women aren't
entering the workforce.
"If women don't see other women who've
made it, they might think [having a
career] isn't for them," said Beirut-based
Dima Dabbous, senior consultant on
media and gender at the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation. "It's precisely because we
don't see them in business at the top of
the echelon that there's the idea that
women can't make it in a male-
dominated field."
Networking is one way Dabbous suggests
successful Arab women should raise
their profile. She also encourages women
to pursue high-level positions even if
they have families, so others can see they
don't need to choose between career and
family, she said. "Plenty of women have
achieved both," said Dabbous.
Mentors and coaches
Mentors are also vital for Middle Eastern
women's career success. While this can
be helpful anywhere in the world, it is
especially important in places where
there are few visible examples of women
in prominent positions.
Majd Shweikeh, Jordan's new minister of
information and communications
technology, believes strongly in the
power of mentoring. The former chief
executive officer of VTEL previously
counselled student entrepreneurs with
the non-governmental, volunteer-based
education organisation, Injaz . She also
established a regional corporate coaching
firm called Musharek, in 2013. Many of
Shweikeh's clients have been women,
who, while often well qualified, needed
help navigating and standing out in the
corporate world.
While there are certainly obstacles in
society, Shweikeh has found that women
sometimes hold themselves back.
"I've witnessed challenges that came my
way, and I'm a strong believer that it's all
about our minds," said Shweikeh. "The
challenge is to prove yourself. Not all
women accept this challenge. They need
to have the right fighting spirit to prove
themselves. It's not always something
that comes naturally."
Hala Fadel, head of the Beirut-based MIT
Enterprise Forum in the Pan-Arab
Region, an alumni network that hosts
technology conferences and
competitions, agrees that women should
make themselves more visible — even as
she, herself, struggles with discomfort of
being in the spotlight.
"I was on TV, but I didn't tell anyone,"
said Fadel. "I almost didn't want anyone
to see it. I know that if my husband were
on TV, he would have told all his
friends."
With her daughters, however, she hasn't
hesitated to bring them into the office to
show them what she does. She wants her
daughters and others to know it's
possible to work and raise a family. And
with her new venture, she is happy that
two of the four partners are women and
most of the Beirut office consists of
female employees.
She hopes that high female employment,
particularly women-run firms, will one
day be the norm. "I want people to think
it's natural," Fadel said.
Once some more prominent or successful
women shed their fear of exposure,
others might do the same. Asaad, the
personal finance specialist, notes that she
was one of the first women in Saudi
Arabia to assume a non-traditional role
at a large bank as an executive associate.
Before, women were mostly relegated to
clerical positions.
"I was the guinea pig for experimenting
with women. I had to portray and carry
myself and meet certain expectations,"
Asaad said. "Today, if you go to that
same institution, the chief financial
officer of that same bank [National
Commercial Bank] is a woman. The chief
executive officer of the investment arm is
also a woman. What people don't know
is, there were people like me who went
through a lot. Nothing will happen unless
we go to the front lines."
www.josiahdele.blogspot.com
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