The key to sustainable growth in MENA?

May 7, 2019

As organisations work to harness and develop their people’s skills in order to prepare for the future, no investment is more crucial for our region than supporting women throughout their careers and driving gender diversity within the workforce. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says the Middle East and North Africa are collectively losing an estimated $575 billion a year due to the legal and social barriers that exist around women’s access to jobs and careers. Progress has been slow; less than a quarter of women in the region are employed. But diversity is integral to businesses’ sustainability and overall success. Boosting the number of women in work is not just a moral imperative – it also has a measurable impact on the bottom line. Government policy and regulation have an important role to play. Legislative frameworks should be up-to-date and fit for purpose, and should include labour and family laws as well as efforts to improve women’s access to finance. Governments in our region are doing what they can. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been pushing for gender diversity and has made significant progress over the past 20 years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which started this drive more recently, has set an ambitious target of 30% female participation in the labour force by 2030 as part of its National Vision 2030. Through government support, women now make up 66% of public-sector workers in the UAE, with 30% in leadership roles. But this isn’t necessarily reflected in private sector companies, which bring overall female participation in the workforce down to 40.6%. As part of PwC’s Women in Work Index – Insights from MENA survey, 3,000 people from the UAE, KSA and Egypt were asked if they believed governments should intervene in private companies and set targets for gender diversity. A resounding 66% agreed. This isn’t about positive discrimination, it is about setting targets to call out unconscious bias and drive equity in the workforce. But our region cannot rely on its governments to drive this alone. This falls on each of us to create equal opportunities for female professionals across all industries. Pay equality is important, but creating an inclusive culture is about much more than that. PwC’s Women In Work Index – Insights from MENA survey shows that people across the region want gender equality in terms of opportunity and access to leadership positions, as well as support for employees. Organizations can provide this by openly discussing and raising awareness of both conscious and unconscious bias, and ensuring the right tone is set from the top – by tying diversity to business goals, for example, and setting up mentorship programmes. As countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council work to diversify their economies, adding more female employees expands the talent pool that companies can tap into as they seek to accelerate their industrial diversification away from oil and gas. Despite challenges including lack of support after a career break, deep-seated social norms and gender stereotypes and bias, however, the gender equality agenda overall is progressing across the region. But it is not moving fast enough. Governments and companies alike […]

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Final Statement of the First Forum of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development

April 4, 2019

The first forum of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development was held in Cairo during the period from the first to the third of April of this year, with the participation and attendance of members of them forum.

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Details of the first forum of economic leaders to discuss the reconstruction of Yemen

April 4, 2019

The Egyptian capital, Cairo, witnessed the launching of the first day of the economic leaders’ forum of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development to discuss the reconstruction of Yemen from several axes.

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Prof Manahel Thabet

Prof. Manahel Thabet: The Economic Forum for Sustainable Development holds its first forum

April 4, 2019

The Economic Forum for Sustainable Development will hold its first meeting in Cairo from 1 to 3 April in the presence of the President of the Forum.

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Launching of the first forum of economic leaders of the Economic Development Forum

April 4, 2019

Ramallah – the world of homeland was launched today in Cairo sessions , the first day of the Forum Economic Leaders Economic Forum on Sustainable Development.

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Discusses the reconstruction of Yemen. A forum for economic leaders begins its work in Cairo.

April 2, 2019

The first day of the Economic Leaders Forum of the Sustainable Development Forum to discuss the reconstruction of Yemen was launched today in Cairo.

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eforum sd discussion by economic leaders

Economic leaders of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development to discuss the reconstruction of Yemen in Cairo.

April 1, 2019

The first day of the Economic Leaders Forum of the Sustainable Development Forum to discuss the reconstruction of Yemen was launched today in Cairo.

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