The 10 Most Successful Women Leaders in Middle East

­Change- Its Just the Beginning

Change, it is said, is the only constant. Sooner or later, situations, people, society, and even countries change. The freedom and opportunities in the Middle East, for women, is the resultant of change movements that started decades ago.

If one thinks of the Middle East of the 20th Century and the situation of women in it, there isn’t much to say about. Except that the condition was grim. Women weren’t just treated as unequal but under-privileged. They had no say in the matters that mattered. Most of them were kept away from formal education and were taught instead, to follow the orders that the elders and the men in the family gave. They grew up with the idea of being inferior to men and passed on the same to the next generation.

As said earlier, time does change. The end of the 20th Century brought with it new ideas. Ideas that were to change mindsets forever. Globalization and women empowerment movements in other parts of the world found their way to the Middle East. The expat community which was slowly increasing in parts of the Middle East, especially UAE, was blooming with women of brilliant ideas and a spark to change the world. The Government too, in a bid to woo the world and improve trade-relations saw an opportunity through empowering women. It started making changes at legal, political and social levels to welcome women at all levels.

The women realized that there’s more to them than what they have been told since ages. Powered by education and lead by example, slowly and steadily they marched ahead together, uplifting themselves and each other. It wasn’t a smooth ride all the way, but a ride worth taking. They first had to convince themselves that they can be what they want to be. Once the inner battle was won, the outer ones were resolved with determination, hard work and a lot of help from fellow women.

This issue of Insights Success celebrates the achievement of the women in the Middle East. “The 10 Most Successful Women Leaders in the Middle East” showcases the story of women extraordinaire who believed in themselves, made it big and are giving it their all to help other women come forth.

The Cover Story is that of Mervat Zohdy Soltan, who has been working in the banking sector for over three decades, achieving one goal after another and currently serves as the Chairperson, Export Development Bank of Egypt.

Also featuring in this edition are Alia El Alami, who journeyed from being a home-baker to the Founder of Looshi’s, a go-to place for delicious desserts; Jane Drury, a Digital Maven and CEO and Founder of ME Digital Group, which helps brands and companies reach their marketing goals effectively; Nashwa Al Ruwaini, a well-known media personality in the GCC and CEO of Pyramedia, which provides world class media services across a full spectrum of television/film production, events, public relations, marketing and advertising; and Nicole Rodrigues, a model turned entrepreneur and Founder of Diva Group of Companies, a company that has placed emphasis on creating opportunities for a lot of people while also providing services to many.

Other significant names include Ofra Strauss, Chairperson, Strauss Group, and Hoda Mansour, Managing Director, SAP Egypt.

The issue also highlights the viewpoints of Fatema Abbas, HOD – Business Communication & Soft Skills, Pune Institute Of Business Management (PIBM) on Women are Born Leaders. Witness how the UAE brought about change in the lives of women in the country in our in-house article The Strengthening Positions of the Emirati Women.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did while creating it!