The second edition of Middle East Women Leadership Forum (WLF) – and the first of its kind to appear in the UAE – opened in Dubai on November 15.

 

Organised by Bain & Company, the leading global management consultancy, WLF follows its successful inauguration in Saudi Arabia last year, which saw a cohort of exceptional female leaders come together to connect, learn, and share experiences. 

 

This year’s instalment commenced with an exclusive welcome dinner. The full-day event will follow on November 16 and will feature three sessions – Finding Your Purpose, Living Your Purpose, and Communication: How to Have Difficult Conversations.

 

Goal setting

The sessions have been thoughtfully designed to align with personal and professional leadership and goal-setting and will encourage participants to explore strategies for infusing purpose into their work and career choices. The day’s activities will wrap up with a Connecting in Vulnerability segment, which aims to create a safe and supportive space for the women to establish deeper and more meaningful connections with each other.

 

Anne-Laure Malauzat, partner and regional chief diversity officer at Bain & Company Middle East, said: “At Bain & Company, we believe that diverse and inclusive workplaces, across all levels of leadership, are a key driver of improved business results. From our research, we have found that organisations reach a tipping point in their journey towards gender equity success when women represent at least 30% of the total workforce – even more so when they assume 30% or more of an organisation’s leadership roles. Currently, throughout the region, ~7% of board seats are held by women, as opposed to 20% globally. 

 

“In an attempt to transform these statistics, WLF is committing to bringing together female leaders from key industries throughout the GCC to foster open dialogue around navigating the workplace confidently and efficiently,” she added.

 

Lise Abi Jaoude, senior manager and lead of WLF, said: “We’re thrilled to be introducing WLF to the UAE, and have selected an exceptional group of influential female business leaders to join us. The second edition of the event will continue to deliver a high-calibre platform of leadership and connectedness for businesswomen across the GCC, serving as a hub of knowledge sharing and experience with other like-minded female leaders.”--TradeArabia News Service