Speakers urge UAE women to become global leaders

DUBAI // Women in the country need to believe in themselves to reach their full potential, a conference to mark International Women’s Day heard on Sunday.

“Women are women’s own worst enemies,” said Noor Shamma, head of public affairs at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi at the Global Women Leaders Conference.

She said while women are making progress, there are still cultural and social barriers to overcome.

“Juggling cultural expectations and traditions in an increasing connected modern world at times proves very challenging,” she said.

The conference at the Burj Al Arab hotel heard from a number of successful women who were showing leadership and creativity, both in this country and abroad.

Another of these was Haniyeh Yousofpour, an assistant professor in organisational behaviour at the Canadian University in Dubai.

She insisted women could make very effective leaders.

She said women bring a different perspective into the workplace compared to men, being more caring and nurturing.

However, she added: “Women need to work on innovation and not to fear rejection.”

Lubna Qassim, group general counsel at Emirates NBD bank, said Emirati women had made great strides.

“For the past three decades we have been discussing and debating women’s capabilities. It’s no longer a question if women are capable,” she said.

She still believed, however, there were not enough women working in the financial industry.

“My mission is to bring women on the board with me. I don’t know why women are shy. We need to change that.”