The National: It’s time for UAE women to take their seats in the boardroom

Aurora50 in the media - Sheikha Shamma writes in The National about woman and boards, 27/08/20

Suzanne Locke 28 August 2020

The world is experiencing a ‘Great Reset’, in which diversity will be our greatest strength, writes Aurora50 co-founder Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan in The National

While 2020 has been a year of many firsts, she says, including the launch of the Hope probe to Mars, it has also brought with it a unique set of hurdles that the world has never faced before.

The silver lining is that, in these difficult times, we are pushed to rethink and reimagine the world around us,” she writes in The National.

Diversity and inclusion help us build new-found resilience – of the human spirit, of our corporations, of our countries and of the global community of peoples in the post-Covid 19 world.
Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

This Great Reset challenges us to “make new connections in order to create a shared future of prosperity, inclusion, and compassion”, she says – and it sees diversity as a source of strength.

“Diversity and inclusion help us build new-found resilience – of the human spirit, of our corporations, of our countries and of the global community of peoples in the post-Covid 19 world,” Sheikha Shamma writes.

As the UAE approaches its Golden Jubilee, she says, the UAE knows how to adapt to the times, with “tolerance, perseverance and the ability not only to adapt but also to leapfrog into the future”.

[Related: Read Sheikha Shamma’s thoughts in full in The National. | Read all of Sheikha Shamma’s opinion pieces for The National]

She also highlighted some areas for change:

Organisations need to start building a pipeline of women in senior positions.
A “conscious effort” to create environments that allow for professionals, both male and female, to network.
Women dismiss their “inner critic” and gain the confidence to seize opportunities and apply for roles.
Women “give recognition” to their own ambition, drive and hard work, as well as attributing their success to managers or leaders.
Mentor talent via programmes such as Aurora50’s Manarat network for women on boards

“By empowering women on boards today, we can build resilient organisations that inspire the future female leaders of tomorrow,” she writes.

Al Arabiya: Gender diversity on the rise in the UAE as more women take top board positions

Al Arabiya reports that the UAE’s continued efforts to improve gender diversity in the boardroom have led to more women holding board positions this year (8.9 percent), up from 3.5 percent in 2020, according to research undertaken by Aurora50 and Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG).
In the media – Accounting & Business: Promoting female leaders

Women leaders can be a big driver of change, says Accounting & Business (AB), reporting on ACCA’s Women in Finance event in Dubai.
NOORA launch – in the media

Aurora50’s network for corporate women, NOORA, launched in July with founding partners Accenture, EGA, The Emirates Group, ENOC and TAQA; news of the launch was covered by publications across the Middle East.

The National: It’s time for UAE women to take their seats in the boardroom

Related posts

Al Arabiya: Gender diversity on the rise in the UAE as more women take top board positions

In the media – Accounting & Business: Promoting female leaders

NOORA launch – in the media