DUBAI // A shortage of women in corporate boardrooms has led a government organisation to campaign for more diversity.
Women hold only 1.5 per cent of board positions in the GCC's listed companies, according to research by Hawkamah, a Dubai think tank.
The Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) teamed up with the group last year to study the issue and make policy recommendations.
"Women board representation is very low," said Hessa Tahlak, director of corporate development, research and projects at the DWE, part of the Dubai government.
But female board members are valuable because they bring different views, she said.
"Companies with women on boards succeeded, especially during the financial crisis," Ms Tahlak said. "Women are more hesitant to take risks."
DWE's third Arab Women Leadership Forum will focus on women in the boardroom. Titled "Board leadership and the case for diversity", the conference will be held on November 19 and 20 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.
Lawyer Diana Hamade will participate in a discussion about family businesses - a sector in which it is particularly difficult to increase female leadership.
"Family businesses are usually not subject to regulation because they don't want to be," said Ms Hamade, who writes a column for The National. "They try to keep their data to themselves.
"Most families say women are not the best experts on corporate governance - they're not lawyers or financial accountants - so what's the value of having them on board?"
Partly because Sharia dictates that women inherit less than men, there are unique cultural challenges in Muslim countries, Ms Hamade added.
"That makes [women] much less important in running the family business," she said.
In the UAE, women make up about two thirds of the public-sector workforce and hold many government leadership positions. But the move towards female leadership in the private sector has been slower.
"How come we have not tapped into the women to be able to provide this diversity of opinion on our boards?" asked Nick Nadal, director of Hawkamah, which looked at more than 5,000 board members at listed companies for its study.
In Europe, 15.6 per cent of board positions at large companies are held by women, according to research by the consultancy Egon Zehnder International. Ms Tahlak said the numbers were even higher in Scandinavian countries.
Egon Zehnder reported mixed results on whether government quotas were the best route.
"France and Spain, which both signed up to quotas in 2010, have dramatically increased their board gender diversity in the past two years," the report said. "But as improvement in the UK suggests, the threat of quotas, along with intense media scrutiny, may be nearly as effective as quotas themselves."
By the end of the year, DWE plans to announce the results of a study on diversity, featuring interviews with about 20 businesswomen. "Although the sample is not very big, it's a good start," Ms Tahlak said.
The discussions and research will lead to policy recommendations. The goal is to develop a plan "ensuring that women get a seat at the table", Mr Nadal said.
THREE
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
AL%20BOOM
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
Napoleon
While you're here
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Transgender report
What%20is%20cystic%20fibrosis%3F
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Richard Olson: Why Afghanistan will be very wary
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
While you're here
Janine di Giovanni: Biden's America will be a more hopeful America
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Who are the women driving Joe Biden's success?
Youth found to be more prejudiced than older people about women leaders
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Kamala Harris and the complexity of racial identity
Paris%20Agreement
Wicked
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
How%20I%20connect%20with%20my%20kids%20when%20working%20or%20travelling
RIVER%20SPIRIT
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
RESULTS
SPECS
Company%20profile
The%20specs
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
MORE FROM ED HUSAIN: The UAE-Israel accord is a win for every Muslim
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
