BCG Report Reveals the Six Imperatives to Empower Women Leaders of Tomorrow in the UAE
- Including gender diversity as a strategic objective - Organizations should make gender diversity a core part of their strategic objectives and keep it at the top of the agenda by embedding the gender diversity agenda in the organization values; explicitly mentioning gender diversity as a strategic objective; developing specific KPIs on gender diversity to be monitored regularly and reported to the top leadership and/or published in the organization's sustainability report; and adding women-related topics to the corporate social responsibility effort.
- Ensuring engagement of the senior leadership and the middle management - A major obstacle witnessed by many organizations was limited engagement of top management in gender diversity initiatives. Few leaders engage and communicate internally on gender diversity. Consequently, middle management is generally not well informed, creating disconnect between the intentions of senior leadership and actual operations.
- Fostering retention of high-potential women - In order to significantly and sustainably foster high-potential women pursuing longer-term careers with current employers, organizations should adopt best practices by ensuring the organization is increasingly perceived as an attractive place for women to work. While it is critical to ensure the continuation and extension of flexible working arrangements by removing the stigma associated with them and making them available also to male employees, it is also important to promote an inclusive culture and policies, leveraging both formal and informal channels.
- Promoting development of women - Providing trainings dedicated to women, to help them to build on their strengths and overcome potential challenging areas in the current male-dominated work environment, such as workshops on 'mental toughness,' 'how to speak up,' or 'build your personal brand' have proven successful, as has instituting development programs aimed at women, such as leadership programs and networking events tailored to women.
- Advocating for women in leadership through positive promotion of role models - The limited number of female role models in certain positions was also mentioned as a major obstacle by interviewed organizations, and women themselves are often held responsible for the lack of role models. Listening to and being inspired by other women is an effective way to gain confidence and increase success and further development. The focus on role models with the promotion of female CEOs and the inclusion of women in governments has achieved impressive results in the GCC. In October 2008, the UAE's first female judge was sworn in. The Dubai Women Establishment reports that, following this appointment, many more applications from Emirati women interested in pursuing this path were received. The same thing happened following the appointment of the first UAE female jet fighter in 2007, also the first woman in the UAE Air Force to lead a mission abroad in 2014.
- Ensuring fairness and removal of conscious or unconscious biases - Another critical area is addressing the potential unconscious gender bias with leaders and managers in charge of evaluation and performance management processes. Tools to address this issue are: widespread communication of the gender diversity agenda, and organizing and conducting training aimed at male employees, specifically for removing the bias in hiring women and for developing and promoting them.
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