Dubai, 30 March 2022 (TDI): The Dubai Forum opened on the 29th of March. The forum talked about the need for more female-led government entities and women in positions of authority. The panel featured women from all over the world.
Ohoud Al-Roumi, the UAE Government’s Development Minister said that there was a need for more female representation in leadership while also calling for women to have a central role in discussions on global issues, in a session.
The session was titled “Women in Government: Shaping a Better Future for the World”. Women account for only 26.1% of parliamentary seats and 22.6% of ministerial positions worldwide.
“We cannot simply have a conversation about our world without placing women at the center of the conversation.” -Ohoud Al-Roumi, UAE’s government development minister.
Gordana Čomić, Minister of Human and Minority Rights in Serbia was also present and called for the harmonization of women’s roles in government settings.
While Patricia Francount, Minister of Employment and Social Affairs of Seychelles described how she learned to become more resilient living in the UK.
She added that she built cabinets of resources and launched workshops for women when she returned to Seychelles aimed at empowering them.
“Passion and resilience are traits you want to share, something as women we should do.” -Patricia Francount, minister of employment and social affairs of Seychelles
Hessa Buhumaid, the UAE Minister of Community Development said that women have many roles within the community besides being involved in government, she called for better balancing of these roles than they had ever been.
Sonya Janahi, CEO of RA’EDAT Arab Woman Portal said that Arab women have been misrepresented in the media which prevents them from reaching their full potential.
The participants agreed that there are was a need for gender parity as well as a need to develop and train women while giving them better access to investment opportunities to put them on par with their male counterparts.
Ibukun Awosika, the moderator of the panel added that being a female entrepreneur in Africa comes with many challenges most of which are cultural.
There has been a significant development for the betterment of female entrepreneurs but women still face many disadvantages reflected in income inequality and access to financing.
Dubai Forum
The Dubai Forum is a conference that discusses the most important global challenges while also suggesting ways to improve government performance and prepare for sudden changes.
The forum attracts high-level government officials, senior representatives of international organizations, opinion makers, and, private sector leaders.
