The Global Women’s Forum Dubai
2016, the first and largest international forum for women in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region,
will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
Organized by the Dubai Women Establishment and the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, the event will build on the theme of innovation through five key pillars – achieving, creating, giving, energizing and sustaining – address the sustainable role of women in innovation and build long-lasting networks designed to empower societies through women’s participation.
The forum provides an international platform for more than 2,000 leading thinkers from around the world to establish a powerful global network to tackle key topical issues concerning the state of women globally and to strengthen the influence of women throughout the world.
“Because Global Women’s Forum Dubai is unprecedented, it has also been a great adventure for us – and that was an important factor in our decision to bring the Women’s Forum to Dubai,” Jacqueline Franjou, CEO of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, told Gulf News Journal.
The event comprises plenary sessions and keynote speeches, as well as The Discovery - the signature creativity space at the heart of Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society meetings hosted by Global Women’s Forum Dubai partners.
Five main plenary sessions with world-renowned speakers and panelists will take place over the two days, exploring a range of topics that include breakthrough moments in work and life, the place of women and innovative thinking in tomorrow's cities, looking beyond the stereotypes of women in the Middle East, and how to create lasting social impact.
“The women’s forum continues to pioneer new topics, new kinds of conversations, in new parts of the world,” Franjou said. “Our experience in the United Arab Emirates, where we have been working closely with the Dubai Women Establishment, has proven once again that we’re on the right track,”.
The forum will also feature key initiatives from the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society’s events. They include CEO Champions, which gathers leaders from the public and private sector to brainstorm new and innovative ways to drive progress and accountability for women’s advancement in the private and public sectors. Another initiative, Rising Talents, will spotlight women under 40 years of age who have demonstrated remarkable skills and courage in their professional and personal lives, and acting as catalysts for change within their companies and communities.
Driving awareness of health and wellness for women in the MENA region is also a primary objective of Global Women’s Forum Dubai. Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show and vice chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, will participate in a session titled 80 is the New 50 during the forum
Drawing upon his experiences and insights from working with Oprah Winfrey and hosting his own show for the past seven years, Oz will argue that people change based not on what they know, but on how they feel. He will discuss how five main adjustments control 70 percent of how we age, and he will share medical insights to enable participants at the forum to take away actionable tips and share them with their friends, family and communities.
“Our goal is to be present wherever the drive and creativity of women participate in shaping change,” Franjou said. “By amplifying women's voices and creating resonance and cross-cutting dialogue, our hope is that we can participate in the work of transforming our global economy and societies so that they become more inclusive, more harmonious and more fair.”
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