CAIRO: Twenty-three mid-career women from Egypt, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Palestine are currently convening in Cairo to share their experience and exchange tips on advancing women's economic opportunities to meet the needs of their own communities and countries. The Global Women in Management program started this week on Oct. 11 for the first time in Cairo and will be held until Nov. 5. The training program is run by the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), an international non-profit organization that works on initiatives and programs to help improve the lives of women and girls in developing countries. The intensive four-week course allows program participants to strengthen their skills in program design and management, decision-making, leadership, business development, proposal writing, strategic communication and monitoring and evaluation. ExxonMobil, the international oil and gas company, brings this program in Egypt as part of its Foundation's Women's Economic Opportunity Initiative which was launched in 2005 in an effort to help women in developing countries fulfill their economic potential and serve as drivers of economic and social change in their communities. "ExxonMobil believes that women and girls are critical in advancing the development and progress of their countries' economy. ExxonMobil Foundation's commitment to capacity building for women and girls will have a direct impact on economic growth, said Tom Walter, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Egypt, in a press statement. "We are proud to host this workshop in Cairo for the participants who are working to make positive contributions in their communities, he added. The Global Women in Management workshop builds on the success of an ongoing partnership between the ExxonMobil Foundation and CEDPA. Since 2005, the ExxonMobil Foundation has sponsored more than 250 women leaders from over 35 countries to receive in-depth training from CEDPA. CEDPA has been operating in Egypt since 1980 and worldwide for more than 30 years. Graduates of the Global Women in Management program in Egypt will join CEDPA's alumni network which includes more than 5,200 women working in more than 150 countries around the world. CEDPA has been working on different projects in a number of areas in Egypt, including advocacy for girls' education, women empowerment, and building on civic participation. Among their successful projects is the Towards New Horizons and New Visions education program for girls. It reaches out to girls with limited access to education, little knowledge of reproductive health, and few life skills to make healthy choices for themselves and their families and to fully develop their own abilities and shape their futures.
