Unlocking the MENA’s full economic potential: Gender equality at home and at work
IBBC, AMAR Foundation and AIWF contributed to a special panel discussion on the subject of ‘Unlocking the MENA’s full economic potential’: Gender equality at home and at work, with particular emphasis on the role of women and how they can contribute more to MENA’s potential.
Distinguished and expert guests included:
Hadeel Hasan : CEO and Owner of Hadeel Al Hasan leading Iraqi law firm in Baghdad and Executive Committee member of IBBC
Haifa Al Kaylani: Founder & Chairman of the Arab International Women’s Forum
H.E. Hala Bsaisu Lattouf: Former Minister of Social Development, Jordan
Caroline Fattal: Board Member, Fattal Group, Lebanon
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: President of IBBC and Founder and Chair of AMAR Foundation in Iraq.
Key Themes included:
- How are Arab women balancing professional careers while also bringing up a family?
- What are the challenges and how do people overcome them?
- What can we learn from successful business and working women?
- How can we achieve change (especially with male attitudes)?
- What could gender diversity policy change in the workplace mean for women seeking better career / family balance?
- Why is it important to reform gender-neutral parental leave policies and other gender-specific workplace policies towards encouraging wider cultural shifts in the region?
- What evidence is there to prove that relieving women of the disproportionate burden of family / children / care responsibilities will have a positive impact on economic performance (based on ILO, World Bank and OECD research)?