Future of Women Leaders in the Middle East
Professional Women of the Middle East: Unique Contexts, Global Concerns
A recent strategy+business article examined the successes and challenges of female professionals in the Middle East, interviewing some of the region’s most prominent and powerful women. The main question for these superstars? Given that the demands of global competition call for the integration of female talents into the corporate and civic workspace, how does a country (or even just a company) get them there? These Middle Eastern women have discovered that female success depends upon a blend of external and internal factors, all of which are easy to identify, none of which are exactly easy to cultivate.
- Women in the Middle East share the common struggle of women across the globe when it comes to ascending to the top levels of their respective industries and careers. But the Middle Eastern women are additionally hampered by what one woman termed a “cement ceiling”—a heavy and seemingly impenetrable matrix of cultural, social and legal impediments that hobble the upward mobility of women.
- Many of the women interviewed by s+b are trailblazers in their fields, and singular in their ability to transcend these obstacles. All of the women interviewed had, among their many qualities, some personal traits that contributed to their successes: a refusal to accept the status quo, and an insistence upon constant improvement; the ability to challenge their own comfort zone, both personally and professionally; and unwavering confidence in their own abilities.
- That confidence, (and resulting ability to push for bigger, better, greater) is an asset of prime importance, but one not readily found in a cultural context that does not emphasize professional ambition amongst women.
As one of the interviewees stated, “I think for a lot of women in the region, the biggest obstacle is themselves. Women need to believe that the role they play is important.”
- In addition to internal challenges, women aiming to improve their position also have to cope with external elements, such as cultural attitudes and the very real legal and social dictums (such as taboos against women traveling alone) that can actively restrict their potential.
- A consistent theme echoed by the women interviewed was the onus of having to prove not only their worth, but also their ability to deliver significant results. If one person seemed unsure that the woman could deliver what was needed, another may question that there was anything that a woman could do for them at all. Navigating this cultural fallout could easily derail women with less tenacious attitudes.
- While the women were split on the question of quotas, most agreed that the impetus for creating an apt “ecosystem” for female empowerment needs to be dictated by government, while individuals have to be given the resources and tools needed to live up to new professional and cultural expectations.
- Highlights of the new “ecosystem” would include educational initiatives; work-life balances that are sustainable in the Middle East’s family-centric culture; active mentorship among professional women; and the cultivation of family support for professional achievement beyond heavy domestic demands placed upon wives and mothers.
- However handled, the women acknowledge that change will come slowly to these Middle Eastern countries, which have already marched through decades of stunning change. “We are understood and appreciated by our societies, and we are developing our own path,” said one of the interviewees. “There can’t be a fast-forward; this has to come gradually. But we can make sure that the next generation doesn’t face the obstacles that we faced.”
Read the entirety of the article and interviews
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