SHARJAH: Under the patronage of Her Highness (H.H.) Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), the pioneering edition of the biennial Women Economic Empowerment Global Summit (WEEGS), opened today (December 4, 2017) at the Expo Centre Sharjah. Organized by NAMA under the theme of ‘Women Excelling in Economy,’ the event aimed to propel UN Women’s ongoing efforts to deliver on the women’s economic empowerment dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During her participation as one of the invited speakers of the event, Dr. Shayma Fawwaz, Founder and CEO of GOSSIP The Brand, a leading Emirati brand managing multi-concepts in Event Management, F & B, and other sectors, highlighted the importance of the adoption of industry best practices and the creation and eventual implementation of policies in support of female entrepreneurs.
WEEGS complements NAMA’s commitment to support UAE’s vision, especially the goals and objectives directed towards women empowerment. The summit initiated discussions with international decision-makers on the development of the flagship program on entrepreneurship and gender-responsive procurement, helped secure the interest of women entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as present strategies, opportunities, and case studies to empower women in non-traditional sectors that will encourage organisations’ commitment for action.
In her speech during the panel session entitled ‘Industry leaders supporting gender-responsive procurement,’ Shayma emphasized on the need to give due importance and priority to the adoption of practices and the creation of more policies that can help support and protect women
entrepreneurs and their businesses. She was joined by a panel of champions of women empowerment, which included Elizabeth A. Vazquez, CEO & Co Founder, WEConnect International; Mohamad Samir, Senior Official, Procter & Gamble; Javette Hines, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Development, Inclusion and Sustainability, Citi and S.N. Nyeck, Senior Researcher and Fellow from UCLA.
Shayma stated, “The UAE has been at the forefront in the adoption of many equality policies, which has allowed women to enjoy the same amount of opportunities afforded to men. These efforts complement the objective of UAE Vision 2021 to provide support and assistance to businesses of female entrepreneurs. WEEGS was successful in its efforts to serve as a strategic platform to highlight the importance of women’s role in society and to extend support for women in the public and private sectors, especially those within the supply support chain. The event saw the creation of many partnerships and the affirmation of support from leading government organizations and entities like Masdar, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and Mubadala, to name a few.”
“The Women Economic Empowerment Global Summit played its part as a strategic tool to attract pioneering start-ups from across the world, and in the process, strengthen Sharjah’s reputation as a thriving hub for entrepreneurship—falling in line with UAE’s Vision 2021, which establishes women entrepreneurship as a vital enabler of the UAE’s transition to a knowledge-based economy,” she concluded. News Desk
