CAIRO: Twenty-three mid-career women from Egypt, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Palestine celebrated Tuesday the completion of the Global Women in Management program which was held for the first time in Egypt. Minister of Family and Population Moshira Khattab attended the event and congratulated the women for their achievement. She explained that empowering and educating women are the ministry's top priorities and that only through women that change and development of the society can occur. The program, which started on Oct. 11, is an intensive four-week course that 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 brought this program to 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. Tom Walter, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Egypt, explained why an energy company would invest in helping advance women in the economy. "As it is true in the way we run our business, our social investments are driven by research that substantiates the attractiveness of the returns. And extensive research has repeatedly confirmed that programs directed at educating women and girls has a multiplier effect which result in economic, political, educational and health benefits for families, local communities and whole societies. Holly Dempsey, director of health and population office at the USAID, explained how investing in women is a good business strategy for economic growth, good governance and democratic progress. A country will never advance or become prosperous without women, she said, quoting US President Barack Obama in the speech he gave to the Muslim World from Cairo last June. Obama had said, "Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential. She said that with their current leadership potential, women are agents of change, models and leaders with the ability to affect, change, go against what is in place. However, she said that it is not an easy feat and will require courage. Participants in the program expressed their enthusiasm to go back to their countries and attempt to change their societies. "I [enrolled in the program because I] wanted to be a better manager in development, I learned leadership, communication, advocacy and financial skills, said participant Bolanle Olafunmiloye, special assistant to the Ondo State governor on community development and NGO matters in Nigeria. "However it also opened my mind to emotional intelligence so that I'm not only aware of my perspective. We all came from different countries, cultures and backgrounds but we have in common the need, passion and drive to develop our society, she added. 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. "Most women lack opportunities to advance their skills and have limited access to mentors to help guide their way as they seek to improve their effectiveness, said Kate Mangino from CEDPA. "[The program] enables the participants to strengthen their competencies in management, leadership, communication and advocacy so that they can assume increased responsibilities in their institutions and communities, she explained. Following the program, each woman will be paired with a professional coach from the region for one year to follow up on and extend what they learnt in the workshop. "Other Egyptian women also will benefit during the 'ripple effect' as the training graduates return to their institutions and reinvest the skills they gained in their own institutions and communities, said Mangino.
