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Contest helps Emirati women lead in business

Dubai - Out of 60 entries, 11 women were shortlisted.

A mix of talented Emirati women, mostly university students, pitched their ideas, views and visions as future Emirati leaders at the UAE Corporate Finance Woman of the Year (CFWY) competition, which was held on Wednesday at the Youth Hub in Emirates Towers.
The contest, now in its second year, is aimed at encouraging female Emirati students to explore new business sectors. Organised by global professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY) and its corresponding youth council, along with the support of the UAE Youth Council, the initiative encouraged Emirati women to pursue careers in the private sector, particularly within the corporate finance industry.
Out of 60 entries, 11 women were shortlisted. The winning applicant will then be competing at the global CFWY contest in London in February. Top finalists will be encouraged to join EY as interns and apply for graduate positions.
Fatma Al Jassim, a 2017 UAE Pioneer Award Winner and Dubai Youth Council member, said: "The EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition is an innovative and unique programme for young Emirati females interested in business.
I encourage my peers to look for opportunities that challenge them to get outside of their comfort zone. The skills we gain from participating in such activities will only help us utilise our strengths across different settings."
After sharing how they wanted to build a better working world and create a lasting legacy, the contestants started the group activities and the participants were assessed based on their thought process, problem-solving ability, behaviour, communication skills, the kind of questions they asked, and their team spirit.
Participant Fatima Al Qubaisi, the first Emirati student to graduate from Harvard Law School, said: "One way to create a better world is to embrace how you are different and not like everyone else. If you want to be a leader, you shouldn't ask yourself, 'do I belong here?' But you should ask yourself, 'what can I add?' And then when you add something, you will get that feeling of belonging."
Lauding the initiative that aimed at empowering potential female leaders, Al Qubaisi added: "I am a lawyer and love talking, so this is a platform for me to put my talent to good use and display my capabilities as an Emirati woman. This initiative gives us a chance to prove our worth to the world."
Among the participants were UAE nationals completing their undergraduate degree or a minor in accounting, finance, economics, or political science, graduating in or before January 2020, as well as students who were enrolled in a master's degree programme and would graduate in or before January 2020 with work experience of six months or less.
Rana Sanyoura, partner for transaction advisory services, UAE CFWY sponsor, EY, said: "The CFWY competition was developed by EY to support the next generation of female Emirati business leaders, especially those interested in pursuing a career in corporate finance. The talent that participated during the competition last year was truly inspiring, and we are excited to provide a new group of young Emiratis with this platform to expand their knowledge, network and opportunities in the workplace."
The CFWY competition has also been launched for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where one female Saudi business student will be announced as the national winner. She, along with the UAE winner, will compete against 14 others from countries such as Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
saman@khaleejtimes.com