DUBAI: Under the royal patronage of Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of H.H Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs, the Dubai Women Establishment held a graduation ceremony for the first-ever graduating batch from the Women leadership Exchange Program, in collaboration with Women 4 Sustainable Growth and MiL Institute.
The ceremony was held last Thursday evening in The Address, Dubai Mall and was attended by Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment, Swedish & Emarati participants from WLEP, VIP guests, dignitaries and a number of society ladies. During her opening speech on the evening, Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment said, "The launch of the Women Leadership Exchange Program by Dubai Women Establishment and supported by Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of DWE; is a confirmation of our commitment to the development of women's leadership within our nation, and to enable and enhance their role and position to achieve our national goals."She added, "There is a strong emphasis on the development of local human capital, a considerable investment and focus being placed in the development and nurturing of future leaders of the nation; qualified men and women who will go on to serve their nation and fulfil the vision of this country. Moreover, Dubai Women Establishment has consistently created measures to enhance the role of Emirati women, as vital worker and contributors of their society, and guide them and prepare them for leadership positions, so that they may play an active role in the process of state-building and development of their homeland."The evening also included a special message from Jaleh Taheri, Founder & Director of Women 4 Sustainable Growth, who commented on the great efforts made by Dubai Women Establishment to support and enhance the role of women in the UAE, and remarkable successes achieved. She also expressed her pleasure at the successful completion of the Women Leadership Exchange Program, commending the dedication, perseverance and a genuine commitment demonstrated by DWE towards the proper execution of the program. She went on to say that this program was a testament of the superior knowledge base and leadership practices that preside within the UAE and will undoubtedly ensure the continued development and growth of this nation. The Women Leadership Exchange Program is an innovative project created to facilitate knowledge sharing on methods for sustainable and participatory leadership. The first phase of saw 14 female senior level Emarati female professionals from the UAE embark on a six-day overseas cross-cultural exchange program to Sweden - where they had the opportunity to meet with successful Swedish and International companies and learn from different sectors and markets. The second phase of this pioneering program exposed the Swedish contingent to a similar opportunity, featuring team consultations, cultural programs and tours. The second module, which concluded yesterday, built on the knowledge and skills learned by the participants during the previous sessions and focus on applying these newly acquired concepts in their own personal context, while placing greater emphasis on work/life balance and leadership development. For her part, Johanna Steen, head of Mentor Programs, gave a speech on behalf of MiL Institute that thanked Dubai Women Establishments and WLEP team for their efforts and ask the graduates to continue building Sustainable Leadership Practices and strong cross border communities and to continue to be these courageous and pioneering women. On behalf of the graduates, Maryam Bin Theneya, from Dubai Foundation for Women and Children said in her speech that she, along with her fellow participants was deeply grateful to Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Dubai Women Establishment along with Women 4 Sustainable Growth and MiL Institute for allowing them to participate in this "life-changing" program that, apart from providing personal and professional development, has also had equipped them with a vast knowledge that will raise their competencies and hone their personalities for positions of sustainable leadership. The formality of certifying the students for the graduation was completed by Shamsa Saleh who handed over certificates to the graduates, while wishing them continued success in their careers. Dubai Women Establishment has continuously strived to launch initiatives that will strengthen the role of UAE women in business and professional fields. Our various training programs and initiatives have one overarching mission - to ensure that Emirati women pursue an aggressive growth agenda that positively impacts the UAE economy, and the overall Gulf region; through the nurturing and development of women leaders, as well as establishing an international representation of Arab women in positions of leadership."Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2013.
