Promoting female equality in the Arab world's workforce through diversity

For instance, because of the persistence of gender norms, many women believe they must shoulder the bulk of housework and infant care. As a consequence, many people have had trouble keeping their personal and professional lives separate during COVID-19 lockdowns.

This was one of the topics discussed at a recent event titled "How Women Rise: Influential Women in Middle East Finance," which brought together prominent women from the top financial organisations in the Gulf. This conversation was made possible by a well-known media outlet as part of the G.C.C.'s A Fair Share programme, which promotes gender parity in the banking sector and encourages women to advance their careers.

The epidemic has completely rearranged the world's female population. "Many working mothers have been hit with the double whammy of keeping down a career and dealing with childcare and education," said panel moderator Zainab Fattah, a Middle East correspondent from region's leading media house . "While many of us expect that the pandemic will be short-lived, its long-term repercussions may be severe - on women's advancement within various industries and on their ability to make a living."

Continuing her presentation, Fattah highlighted key takeaways from a recent study conducted by management consulting firm McKinsey, which found that during COVID-19, working women were three times more likely than working dads to be responsible for the majority of housework. The research also found that as a result of the increased pressures brought on by the pandemic, one-fourth of women are contemplating abandoning their careers entirely or significantly reducing their career goals. Fattah rightly pointed out that these tendencies could thwart ongoing initiatives to improve female equality in the workplace. Female representation in positions of power is low overall and even lower in many Middle Eastern countries.

Helping Females Through the COVID-19

Women have been hit harder than males by the pandemic, but it's encouraging to know that some Middle Eastern businesses are working to help their female employees cope.

As Citi's Vice Chair of the Middle East and Chief Country Officer of Saudi Arabia, Carmen Haddad said on the panel, "at Citi, we are mindful of the challenges that women are facing during the pandemic," including caring for families, homeschooling children, and performing household chores. To enact change and consider leniency [policies] for women, "this is a chance for us."

Another panelist, Farah Foustok, CEO of Lazard Gulf Limited, stressed the need for empathy in the current climate. Now more than ever, compassion is needed. Lazard has recently implemented "mental health workshops" for its staff, and its leaders also "encourage mentoring and one-on-one engagement to really understand [each person's] problems," as she put it. "It's been a huge boon that workers can talk about their problems and concerns openly."

Parity between the sexes in the professional realm

Companies are working towards broader gender equity goals beyond COVID-19.

Even though "a lot of work needs to be done" in the Middle East, "we are seeing a basic shift in mindset towards female empowerment and female inclusion," as Haddad put it.

Some businesses are instituting policies that guarantee equitable opportunities for men and women at every level of the organisation.

Equal pay, similar promotion, and equal representation at all levels are major priorities for Citi, according to Haddad. Ten of the nineteen employees promoted to director level roles in the Middle East and Africa last year were women. We set a target of having 50% female applicants in our doctoral programme.

Furthermore, Bloomberg is committed to empowering women in the workplace through a variety of internal and exterior programmes and activities. The Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) is one such index because it measures the success of public businesses in this area. The goal of the Index is to create a strong economic argument for gender parity. As part of its A Fair Share programme, the business is also planning to host additional knowledge-sharing sessions across the Gulf in the coming months.

A issue that must be fixed does not exist in women. Instead, "they're the answers to the issues confronting our companies right now," as Foustok put it. The bottom line will benefit greatly from hiring and promoting qualified women, as will the company's reputation.

To achieve success, one must look inward

Although these policies and procedures are crucial, women must also take responsibility for their own advancement in the workplace. Having faith in oneself is the first step.

The silence of women is unacceptable. One of the panelists, Wafa Ahmad Alqatami, a member of the Board of Directors at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce, advised the audience to "battle for your right" if they aspired to take on more responsibility or believed they deserved a higher position.

Haddad agreed with her and emphasised the value of forging one's own professional route. Instead of counting on others to advance your job for you, she suggested taking charge of it yourself. "Don't be hesitant to ask questions or raise your hand if you notice an issue. Say "yes" to everything, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone. Women shouldn't feel they have to put their careers first at the expense of everything else.

"As the day comes to a close, take stock of how happy you feel. Women put in long hours, but "we all need equilibrium as human beings," said Haddad.

At the end of the day, it's crucial that women establish their own standards for success in the workplace and beyond.

Customs, Cargo and Women: A talk for her

In order to close gender equality gaps in the MENA area, CCP introduced the initiative "Customs, Cargo and Women: A talk for her" in July 2021. Networking events, a regional pool of CCP co-facilitators, and cross-regional study tours are just some of the activities that have been put into motion by the initiative since its inception to empower CCP women officers in the area. The CCP MENA team has recently shifted focus to a new strategy to address gender inequality in the area, one that aims to alter organisational mindsets and structures.

In order to achieve this objective, the CCP MENA team hosted a three-day event in September 2022, inviting key decision-makers from Human Resources and other management functions within law enforcement agencies across government structures in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. This Beirut-based programme encouraged participants to actively participate in discussions about how to integrate gender equality into the hiring, advancement, and retention of staff.

Participants were educated on unconscious bias and gender mainstreaming in the workplace with the help of a team of gender specialists, coaches, and human resources professionals based out of the UNODC's Vienna headquarters. To share what is working well in their own governments and to discuss what other countries in the area are doing well, participants presented policies and procedures they have in place during the workshop.

The CCP MENA team is committed to empowering CCP women officers in the region through a personalised approach, such as by providing opportunities for professional growth and training. However, they are also aware that change must come from within. Therefore, the Programme will keep working to reduce gender inequality in the region by educating influential people in member nations about the importance of implementing gender-sensitive policies, programmes, and structures in the workplace.