08. March 2007
Edit Schlaffer (in the middle) at the 9th Global Businesswomen and Leaders Forum in Dubai. Next to her on the right side Dr. Massoumeh Ebtekar, the former Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Ms. Raja al Gurg, President of the Dubai Business Women Council. On the left side the conference organiser and managing director from Datamatix, Mr. Ali al Kamali
From Presence to Significance: Women don’t only want to make it, they want to make a difference!
Edit Schlaffer as key speaker at the 9th Global Businesswomen and Leaders Forum in the Burj al Arab Hotel Dubai. The modern media and the international markets have created something new: a global women’s culture that contains more common elements than in any earlier age.
Women worldwide aspire and desire a balanced professional and personal
life. The messages about life, work, love and money are shared experiences in a
new real and virtual global community.
We witness a new and exciting
process: the young girls coming of age are experiencing something like a shared
childhood across the globe. They are socialized into new sets of attitudes based
on the principles of personal achievement and ambition.
At the same time
they live in a paradox being torn between high societal expectations and
limitations. This backfires on two levels: on the personal level testing the
trust and confidence of the young talented women in their ambitions, and on the
economic level producing a huge waste of much needed brainpower.
These
emerging new talents and already visible female leaders could be a new force for
positive and better trans-national communication. But this development is not
warmly welcomed on various public stages, it is viewed with alarm by some.
Educators, parents, conservative opinion leaders see this as a threat to the
more traditional socialization of women they would prefer for their youths,
especially for the female section.
The Gender Deal
We need a change of perspective: instead of seeing gender as a threat we
should see it as an opportunity. Gender does not mean women only, sharing does
not mean loosing, and there is something for all of us in the gender deal:
Opportunity for all to achieve their full potential, opportunity for all to
choose the type of career that suits each person best free of stereotypical
pressure and positioning. Viewed in these terms it makes sense to invest in
women and tap into the energies and talents of all members of society.
This
is especially important in the poorest of our countries, where the investment
already made into the education of women to university level should not be lost
once they are married and raise a family.
I am sure you also already
thought “I want more” or even asked yourself “Is this all?”
We have to listen to our inner voice, when we ask ourselves, “why so
slow, why so little?” We should speak out loud and not follow the given
practices. Why travel the scenic route if there are always highways available
without segregation!
Why Women without Borders…
Significance means that the women who are at the top really care to
develop a vision for what they want. Women can be significant at all levels, be
aware that you have influence, that as soon as you are visible you have an
impact. Women must use it more. And women can keep breaking in to new fields
such as the environment, reconstruction and conflict prevention. These three
areas are so critical that women cannot afford not to be there.
Your
knowledge is a tool. By connecting our minds and our spirits, we can really work
together for development and have significance in world affairs.
If we don’t
choose to be diplomats or politicians, we can be activists and maybe not save
the world, but the environment. The conflict zones are growing, when the peace
is made and I am confident that it can be done, we will begin the process of
healing and rebuilding. And women must be ready to do their part in building
strong and sustainable societies and that serve the interests of the many and
not only the few.
Let’s not us wait for the crumbs, let’s bake the cake!
You all are women without borders and together we can change the
world!
With best regards from Dubai where dedicated female
Arab speakers are together designing a new road map for female leadership in the
future.
Yours Edit Schlaffer
Click here for more
informations on the conference in Dubai.