Why empowering more women is vital to business and society

Representatives from PepsiCo, Olayan Group and Petroleum Development Oman during a discussion on challenges, best practices and diversity in the GCC.

Changing perceptions of women in leadership roles, acquiring and retaining local female talent, and overcoming practical challenges in terms of logistics and infrastructure are key issues that employers in the GCC face.
These are the findings of a report conducted by The Pearl Initiative, a forerunner of women's empowerment in the Gulf.
Entitled "Women's Careers in the GCC - Four Good Practice Case Studies", the report focuses on various aspects of female employment, through surveys of four of the region's leading companies - General Electric, Olayan Group, PepsiCo and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), each a leader in their domain. The participants also shared best practices that ensure inclusion and diversity in the workplace while discussing the strategies they devised to acquire and retain top female talent, thereby achieving stronger governance.
The results suggest that an integrated approach involving schools and universities, aggressive awareness drives at multiple levels, implementing supportive infrastructure and work environment, family engagement as well as women-specific policies and programmes are the most effective ways to address the challenges of female employment.
Developing more role models from the region, creating women-centric opportunities, investing in segregated offices and other useful services at the workplace and organising transportation to and from work are a few of the strategies companies can adopt to create an enabling work environment.
Carla Koffel, executive director of The Pearl Initiative, said: "In the recent years, women in the Gulf region have been breaking through the glass ceiling at a growing pace, increasingly taking on top government and private sector jobs. Yet, even with scores of highly-qualified women graduating from universities in the region every year, female participation at the decision-making level still remains low. The private sector clearly plays a pivotal role in driving change."
As a leading independent, not-for-profit, by-business for-business organisation, The Pearl Initiative works across the Gulf region to improve corporate accountability and transparency through good governance best practices, including positioning women in leadership roles.
Nabil Habayeb, GE's president and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: "The launch of the report on 'Women Careers in the GCC' by the Pearl Initiative is an important step in setting the landscape in job creation for women in the region, and a way forward to further strengthen opportunities that will empower them with high quality and rewarding careers. As a key partner in the socio-economic growth of the region, we have taken concerted steps over the years to strengthen the participation of women in our regional teams."
"Committed to workplace diversity, we focus on hiring high achievers, building their skills, creating career pathways, providing networking opportunities, and supporting them through female talent development programmes. We have steadily increased our team of senior female talent, and we will continue to roll out strategic initiatives led by our supportive and inclusive approach."
The Pearl Initiative's goal is particularly important in today's economic landscape given that diversity breeds innovation, creativity, and business sustainability. In fact, industry experts find that companies which practice diversity in leadership enjoy better financial returns and higher profitability.
In April 2015, The Pearl Initiative released a breakthrough report entitled "Women's Careers in the GCC: The CEO Agenda", based on the findings of a Gulf-wide research programme conducted in partnership with the Sharjah Business Women Council. The study revealed that working women in the GCC are as ambitious and career-driven as their counterparts in the rest of the world, with over 50 per cent of those surveyed aiming at senior or board-level positions within the next seven years.
- business@khaleejtimes.com