Arabian Business: UAE launches ’20 for 2020′

The UAE launched the ’20 for 2020’ initiative aimed at driving gender balance at board level, Arabian Business reported.

Twenty women will have the opportunity to take part in a year-long professional development course while they gain board-level experience.

The programme is in line with the objectives of the Dubai Women Establishment to increase female representation on corporate boards to 20 percent.

The first partners include the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which will select the first two participants.

The remaining 18 places on the programe will be reserved for future partners.

Abu Dhabi Global Market, Dubai Future Foundation, Egon Zehnder, Fidelio Partners, INSEAS Corporate Governance Centre, Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance and Nasdaq Dubai were all named founding knowledge partners.

Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, co-founder of 20 for 2020, said: “This initiative is about creating a pathway which enables inclusiveness and creates opportunities.

“By placing more women into board positions, we’re enriching the perspective of boardrooms across the uAE, thus creating a work environment where business operation have an opportunity to perform optimally.

By championing equality and ensuring balanced representation on boards, we can create a culture of diversity that is essential in combatting groupthink and driving competitiveness.”

The programme is now known as Pathway20, the GCC’s first accelerator to increase boardroom gender balance.

[Read full story on Arabian Business]