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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
Women in top leadership positions in organisations need to be confident and consistent in order to succeed, speakers at the Doha Women Forum said on Monday, claiming that, in many organisations, women are not given the top management and executive jobs.
Speakers at the online event included Ashley Brantley who works at Qatar Civil Aviation Authority as air control officer after working in the US military, and Israt Ara Younus, managing director at RCS Consultants and Services, who worked in a bank before becoming an entrepreneur.
These women, who have been able to break barriers in their career, were speaking at a webinar titled ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling’. The event was moderated by Xiomara Henriquez.
Brantley urged women to start off strong in their confidence and consistency in order to grow. She said, “Women should try to apply male dominant leadership traits to show that they are capable.”
Brantley, who worked in the US for six years, said she faced a number of challenges as a woman to reach the top positions, saying, “People wonder, how did she get there? Women in leadership and higher management roles are always facing a challenge on how to prove themselves. They can’t show their weakness.”
She added that she exuded confidence and consistency in order to succeed in the male dominated industry, urging women to be confident and pursue their dreams.
For her part, Younus said, “Organisations need to engage male colleagues in the diversity programmes so that they can understand the issues since most of these programmes mostly involve women.”
She called for work place cultural exchange where male colleagues support their female counterpart in advancing their career.
“When people talk of training and promotions, there is a tendency of people referring to male colleagues. This will make a huge change for women at the workplace if such programmes were put in place,” she said.
According to Younus, in many workplaces, men are at the top level positions, adding that though there have been talks on equal opportunities, women are contributing 48 percent in general economy but in the top positions, women occupy less than 20 percent.
“If we talk about CEO positions, the percentage is very low. This shows clearly that there is a barrier. Men do not feel that barrier,” she said.
She said women have a barrier to cross a certain limit in an organisation, society and even in family, reiterating that she had to let go of her banking career where she was a CEO and move to Qatar with her four children.
“Women are the ones who sacrifice their careers for various reasons,” said Younus.
According to her, when she came to Qatar, she promised to prove herself in this market and that’s when she joined a bank as a corporate relationship manager instead of a CEO position or a senior management position because she needed a platform where she could use her skills.
“For a good corporate relationship manager, I needed analytical, financial analysis, negotiation and relationship management skills,” she said, stressing that she had to exude perseverance and patience.
She advised women to look into themselves and what skill sets they have developed in their career where they were before and use those skill sets no matter where they are.
“Try to find a platform where you can use that skill set,” said Younus.
DOHA
Women in top leadership positions in organisations need to be confident and consistent in order to succeed, speakers at the Doha Women Forum said on Monday, claiming that, in many organisations, women are not given the top management and executive jobs.
Speakers at the online event included Ashley Brantley who works at Qatar Civil Aviation Authority as air control officer after working in the US military, and Israt Ara Younus, managing director at RCS Consultants and Services, who worked in a bank before becoming an entrepreneur.
These women, who have been able to break barriers in their career, were speaking at a webinar titled ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling’. The event was moderated by Xiomara Henriquez.
Brantley urged women to start off strong in their confidence and consistency in order to grow. She said, “Women should try to apply male dominant leadership traits to show that they are capable.”
Brantley, who worked in the US for six years, said she faced a number of challenges as a woman to reach the top positions, saying, “People wonder, how did she get there? Women in leadership and higher management roles are always facing a challenge on how to prove themselves. They can’t show their weakness.”
She added that she exuded confidence and consistency in order to succeed in the male dominated industry, urging women to be confident and pursue their dreams.
For her part, Younus said, “Organisations need to engage male colleagues in the diversity programmes so that they can understand the issues since most of these programmes mostly involve women.”
She called for work place cultural exchange where male colleagues support their female counterpart in advancing their career.
“When people talk of training and promotions, there is a tendency of people referring to male colleagues. This will make a huge change for women at the workplace if such programmes were put in place,” she said.
According to Younus, in many workplaces, men are at the top level positions, adding that though there have been talks on equal opportunities, women are contributing 48 percent in general economy but in the top positions, women occupy less than 20 percent.
“If we talk about CEO positions, the percentage is very low. This shows clearly that there is a barrier. Men do not feel that barrier,” she said.
She said women have a barrier to cross a certain limit in an organisation, society and even in family, reiterating that she had to let go of her banking career where she was a CEO and move to Qatar with her four children.
“Women are the ones who sacrifice their careers for various reasons,” said Younus.
According to her, when she came to Qatar, she promised to prove herself in this market and that’s when she joined a bank as a corporate relationship manager instead of a CEO position or a senior management position because she needed a platform where she could use her skills.
“For a good corporate relationship manager, I needed analytical, financial analysis, negotiation and relationship management skills,” she said, stressing that she had to exude perseverance and patience.
She advised women to look into themselves and what skill sets they have developed in their career where they were before and use those skill sets no matter where they are.
“Try to find a platform where you can use that skill set,” said Younus.
