fbpx

More Women Needed in Tech: AUS President

May 21, 2023 thehrobserver-hrobserver-sheikhabedour

President of American University of Sharjah (AUS) and of Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP),  Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, called on tech companies to be more proactively inclusive by factoring women’s needs into corporate thinking.

President of American University of Sharjah (AUS) and of Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP),  Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, called on tech companies to be more proactively inclusive by factoring women’s needs into corporate thinking.

She was speaking during the opening ceremony of WIRED’s third anniversary ‘Arab Women in Tech’ conference, in Dubai.  Sheikha Bodour said it was imperative humanity learn from its mistakes and evolve without ‘leaving half the population behind’.

“When airbags were introduced, they killed and injured more women and children than men. Why? Because women and children’s physical differences and car seating positions were not calculated in the test results.”

“When we talk about technology and the future, we should ask ourselves if women are included in our calculations. Are women being encouraged and supported to keep up with this change, or being left behind?,” she added.

According to the official, women represent  56% of UAE government university graduates in STEM subjects, while in Saudi Arabia the ratio of women in ICT had increased from 7% to 28% since 2018, surpassing the EU and G20 averages of 17.5%.

“Women have unique needs and face specific challenges, such as balancing work and family responsibilities and dealing with pregnancy and motherhood. We can’t expect them to perform and grow in their careers in environments that weren’t built with their needs in mind,” she said.

“By actively promoting and supporting women’s career advancement in the tech sector, we can increase their representation in leadership roles and bring their voices, fresh ideas and innovative solutions to the industry’s challenges.”

Sheikha Bodour was the second woman and first Arab and Muslim president of the 126-year-old International Publishers Association. In 2019 she started PublisHer, an initiative to empower women in publishing and advance them towards leadership and board roles.

Related Posts