Under the royal patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs, UAE; and as part of DWE's 'Women in Boards' initiative, Dubai Women Establishment today revealed the name of the first graduate from the special 'Women in Boards' management accreditation program for Emirati women. This pilot project by Dubai Women Establishment aims to increase the representation of Emirati women in managerial & senior leadership positions.

The objectives of the 'Women in Boards' initiative is to identify policy barriers restricting the participation of more women at senior executive levels and advocate changes to overcome these, develop a communication strategy aimed at increasing awareness on gender diversity in local and regional boardrooms, train women investors, directors, managers and other stakeholders on the foundations of good corporate governance and mentor the next generation of women leaders. Through this initiative, DWE aims to achieve greater gender equality in managerial positions.

Participating in this unique training program - which began in early 2012 - was Ms. Maryam Al Suwaidi, who is a Director of Human Resources & Admin of Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment. The program was executed in four planned stages which focused on providing a nurturing business environment that will encourage the representation of female UAE nationals on boards of directors, and enhance the leadership skills of women who hold senior management positions, help them acquire and develop their credentials and decision-making skills and finally expand the network of their professional acquaintances.

Commenting on this occasion, Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment said, "We are very pleased with this achievement, which is in line with the vision of HH Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and DWE to empower women professionally and give them ample opportunities to fulfil their potential to reach senior executive positions.'

She added, "The low prevalence of female representatives in boards of directors is a global issue, not only local. And the UAE stands as one of the first Arab nations to recognise this gender gap and develop measures and policies to reduce the gap between the sexes in decision-making positions, particularly boards of directors. Moreover, Dubai Women Establishment has consistently played an integral role in creating the opportunities and providing support to public and private organisations who are trying to make crucial modifications in their organisational policies. This was especially evident in the wake of the decision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, who decreed that it must be compulsory for corporations and government agencies to include women on their boards of directors."

For his part, Sami Gargash, CEO of Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment commented that this cooperation is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to include female participation on the boards of government and semi-government agencies, who is a firm believer in important role Emirati women play in all spheres of society including their undeniable contribution in the field of leadership and management at all levels. Furthermore, Gargash continued by recognising the role of the Dubai Women Establishment in the organization of the 'Women in Boards' training program - a relatively new concept in field of training and leadership development within the Arab region. He explained, "I am confident that all of the students that will join this program will benefit greatly from the content of this program and undoubtedly have a positive impact on their work and performance."

Maryam Al Suwaidi shared how the program benefitted her. "This program has impacted me greatly. The large variety of courses and subjects covered, along with the extensive amount of training material provided, and has helped gain a strong understanding of leadership and management. Our trainers comprised of local and international experts, who used their wide range of personal experiences as well as expansive knowledge on their subjects during the program. I am certain that the knowledge and training accumulated through this program will help me to grow and develop as an employee, professional woman and leader for many years to come. I look forward to using our newfound skills to contribute to the continued growth of my community and nation."

It is worth mentioning that the DWE has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Corporate Governance in early 2012, to announce this pioneering initiative, which aims to increase the participation of women entrepreneurs and leaders within governmental organisations in the country. Work on the second phase of the program will be announced with a call for applications in 2013.

Dubai Women Establishment:
Dubai Women Establishment is a statutory body of the Government of Dubai as per its founding decree, which encourages and facilitates the active participation of Emirati women in the economy and society; capitalizing on its own knowledge to advise legislators on policies that are more conducive to Emirati women in the workplace and their role in the family; influencing networks and society to create a positive perception of participating Emirati women, and delivering services in Dubai which address the multi-faceted needs of women, to pursue an active lifestyle and sustained economic participation.