The Global Summit for Women is being held in Egypt this summer, reports Reem Leila Egypt has been chosen to host one of the largest international gatherings of professional businesswomen and leaders, the 2006 Global Summit for Women (GSW). Known as "Davos for Women", the event is dedicated to promoting women's economic development in the context of efficient use of technology, and the benefits of cross-border business alliances. Representatives from more than 85 countries will descend on Cairo to discuss these issues from 10 to 12 June. The GSW will also feature a pre-summit ministerial roundtable, bringing together women ministers from different countries to discuss policies that have had a positive impact on women's economic status. The summit is expected to call for the formation of national and regional networks, the launching of business initiatives for women, and various other means of enhancing women's role in the global economy. A trade fair -- "WEXPO" -- will also feature products and services made and run by women. A major theme of the 2006 summit will be "redefining global leadership". Alternatives to the "top- down" hierarchical leadership style usually favoured by men will be explored. Lifetime achievement awards will be presented to women who have played a successful role in raising women's economic capacities. In an exclusive interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, summit president Irene Natividad said the decision to place special emphasis on business and economics "stems from several facts, the most important of which is that women account for 40-50 per cent of the paid labour force in the world, and this percentage is most likely to increase in the future as the world now moves from a manufacturing to a service-based economy." In Egypt women currently account for 30 per cent of the labour force, a figure Natividad said was on the rise, in tandem with the rise in women's purchasing power. "In Egypt," she said, "a lot of women are now the major breadwinners for their families. They are also the ones who mostly take the decisions about health and education." In the 21st century, Natividad said, women will increasingly also be the owners of small and medium-scale enterprises. In the US, 44.4 per cent of private companies are owned by women, as compared to 30 per cent in the European Union (EU), 25 per cent in Japan, 20 per cent in China and 12.1 per cent in the Arab world. Women also own 80 per cent of the world's micro-enterprises. "As the foundation of modern economies is originally based on small-scale businesses, and as women are now the major owners of these businesses, they will be major players in many economies in the 21st century," Natividad said. Egypt was chosen to host the summit because it is the dominant economy in the Arab world, and its most populous nation. "We will make use of the summit to showcase and highlight the incredible business, professional and entrepreneurial talent of Egyptian women," Natividad said. The summit president said she takes great pleasure in telling "my American and European colleagues" that women now have leading positions in banks, brokerages and public-sector holding companies. Natividad said she was "proud of all Egyptian women who play an influential role in their community and society". As such, she will be keen to use the summit to focus on the fundamental role "they have played in the development of their country's economy." Twelve countries have previously hosted the event. The main Egyptian sponsors of this year's round are the Commercial International Bank (CIB) and EgyptAir.
