Women's Forum Middle East 2020

Mar 08 | 09:30 - 10:15

Driving the ambition of a new decade: Equal opportunities for all

Room: Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Description

[Opening plenary] Driving the ambition of a new decade: Equal opportunities for all Inclusion and diversity can revolutionize the region’s growth, and tackle the pressing challenges of this decade. Today, women make up only 21% of the labor force in the Middle East and North Africa, translating to only 18% of the region’s overall GDP. If this labor force participation had increased in the past decade, GDP growth in the region could have doubled (an increase of 1 trillion USD). Many countries are taking initiatives to unleash the power of diversity, with the UAE’s Expo 2020 Dubai as a meaningful example of inclusion, tolerance and cooperation. What is the outlook for the Middle East in the new decade? What opportunities and challenges are they facing? How will diversity and inclusion help to unlock the region’s full potential?