Women should define their own success, says accomplished female scientist

• Session highlights high representation of Arab women in STEM education 

Dubai, UAE; Women should be given the opportunity to design and define their success in society and should not be compared to men, an accomplished scientist and academician told the audience at the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 on Monday.

Speaking in a ‘Game-Changer’ session, organised as part of the Forum to showcase inspiring personal stories from women who have made great strides across various industries, Dr. Rana Dajani, one of the most influential female scientists in the Islamic World, said: “Ideas of success are very male designed and are spreading around the world without asking women what they really want.”

Dr. Dajani, who began her session by showcasing five different scarves to explain the different roles in her life, said: “I wear five scarves which are a symbol of the different roles I play in life. I’m a mother of four children, which is the most important role I play to bring up good citizens, I’m an educator, and a molecular cell biologist studying trauma on our bodies.”

“I’m also a social entrepreneur. I started a programme called ‘We Love Reading’ which encourages children to read for fun,” she said, as she showed the audience another coloured scarf. “Many children don’t read around the world because their parents don’t read aloud to them, so through this programme, we hope to bring up a generation of change makers,” she said, adding that the programme began in Jordan and has now spread to 55 countries.

As for the fifth scarf, which she wears as a feminist, she said she narrates her story in a book titled Five Scarves: Doing the Impossible—If We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why Can’t We Redefine Success?

In her session, Dr. Dajani pointed out that many reports are not able to explain why there are less women in the workforce compared to men. Generally, it is attributed to the lack of educated females, which is incorrect, she said.

“We need to look at implicit attitudes in different cultures and question gender gap index measurements and call for more research. We are doing something right in the Arab world in terms of STEM education for females and other parts of the world can learn from us,” she added.

Highlighting common issues faced by women, Dr. Dajani explained that family dynamics and children are the reasons women leave the workforce.

“We need to also look at the root causes because we assume we know what women want in a society. We need to shift to asking them what they really want and they could want different things,” she added.

-Ends- 

About Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020:

Global Women's Forum Dubai (GWFD) 2020 is an international event being held on 16-17 February, 2020. It is organised by Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. 

Building on its theme ‘The Power of Influence’, GWFD 2020 offers a global platform to discuss improved policies and foster partnerships that further women’s positive impact across four key areas: government, economy, society, and future. The event aims to engage over 3,000 attendees – including global leaders, public and private sector experts, as well as entrepreneurs, academics and students – through workshops and keynote sessions.

The Forum’s Knowledge Partner is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  Alongside the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), DWE is also co-organising the We-Fi MENA Regional Summit – a side-line event that will host entrepreneurs from the region’s emerging economies.

In line with the UAE’s ongoing commitment to advance gender balance across all sectors, GWFD 2020 will drive female engagement and participation in the workforce, and is a testament to the country’s position as a global role model for the advancement of women.

About Dubai Women Establishment:

Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) was formed in 2006 as a statutory body of Dubai Government by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai. DWE is headed by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The Establishment’s mission is to advance the engagement and socio-economic participation of women across various sectors and fields. DWE’s strategic plan 2017-2021 focuses on providing recommendations to shape policies; fostering strategic partnerships; developing capacity-building programmes; and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and research by organising global events and leading initiatives.  

About the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi):

The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a groundbreaking partnership that aims to unlock financing for women-led/owned businesses (WSMEs) in developing countries. We-Fi’s partners include 14 governments, six multilateral development banks as implementing partners, and numerous other stakeholders in the public and private sector around the world. We-Fi takes an ecosystem approach to removing barriers to women’s economic empowerment, addressing constraints and opportunities related to finance, market access, capacity and the enabling environment. https://we-fi.org/ 

© Press Release 2020