Women urged to welcome challenges
Four achievers discuss how to be successful in a world changed by the pandemic
Women must “choose to challenge” to achieve a world with equal opportunities, participants at a Dubai forum said on International Women’s Day yesterday.
Themed ‘Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world’, the forum featured Maz Hakim, a, Afghan-Australian radio presenter who moderated the session’ Heather Harries, founder of the Stop and Help initiative, Mariam Al Samadi, founder of DXBWomen, and Carolyn Yaffe, a psychotherapist at Medcare Camali Mental Health Clinic.
Get rid of self-doubt
The four women shared their experiences and challenges in adapting to a changing environment. “Entrepreneurs are like best friends — they seek each other out, support each other and remove self-doubt. If you have ideas, go for it,” said 26-year-old Mariam, a Palestinian-American expat who founded DXB Women to support struggling female-led businesses in Dubai.
Carolyn noted women should address the sense of anxiety. “It’s okay to be sad, angry and have fears. but no matter how many times you fail, you must always pick yourself up,” she said.
Heather talked about her “kindness exchange initiative” Stop and Help, which connects donors with needy families. At the beginning of the pandemic, she set up a Facebook page to provide families with books, toys, cakes and essentials. The initiative now supports more than 100,000 people. Through the initiative, Heather has provided 2.4 million meals to date.
The panelists agreed that men should also a play a role in removing gender bias in society. Mariam noted that men at workplaces can take specific steps towards gender equality by demanding equal pay for both men and women. “If they are quiet about it, they are just complying with the status quo,” she said.