Dubai Women's College opens leadership summit on Women and Technology

Aiming at establishing the first Middle-East regional center for women and technology, the summit assembles the support of a significant number of international organizations interested in advocating innovative approaches to encourage women participation in technology.

For three days, more than thirty international renowned experts in technology will participate in discussions to create a strategy that builds on current effective practices in the Middle-East region and to identify issues affecting women and girls in areas including secondary and tertiary education, workforce development, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Participants will focus on establishing a leadership team for the Middle-East region, defining a working map and indicators for measurement of regional efforts.

Discussions will set target priorities for development and a timeline for implementation as well as an agreement for a global technology platform for shared regional and global resources.

On the Summit's agenda also is creating an agreement on a code of conduct for all stakeholders including the protection of intellectual property and another one on funding priorities and strategies for development and sustainability for all initiatives and supporting activities.

The Summit will also define national, regional, and international governance including representatives in every country through national affiliates identified within the region.

Sponsored by Microsoft, The World Bank and HP, the Summit is expected to introduce a Memorandum of Understanding between the Higher Colleges of Technology and the International Taskforce on Women and ICT in support of future cooperation in the field of women and technology and to encourage leadership initiatives in the region.

In her opening address, Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Associate Director at Dubai Women's College and a lead organizer of the Summit, explained that the Summit is an outcome of a journey that was laid out in 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA as part of a five year plan to increase the participation and leadership of women in ICT and related technologies (including engineering) around the globe.

"Today, together we inaugurate the Middle East Center of Women and Technology. We need to focus on the contribution of women and technologies to the global economy. We need to share new initiatives and strengthen our current efforts in the Middle East towards increasing economical, social and educational opportunities for women in the knowledge society by 2011."

she noted.

Participants in the Summit represent governmental, non-governmental, and semi-governmental sectors and a large variety of technology-related organization locally, regionally, and internationally.

As recognized by the United Nations, women are disadvantaged in access to education and technology.

Women, particularly in developing countries, have fewer opportunities to education in technological fields.

The impact technology has on increasing individuals' participation in societies' advancement is critical.

Economic growth depends upon the level of attention given to the issue of women and technology all over the globe and the establishment of a regional center will expand the impact for all people globally.

"This is a milestone event for the Middle East region and women in technology. Through collaborative efforts like this we are able to bring together academia, NGOs, and government agencies to address and advance women issues worldwide," noted Claudia Maurell, CEO of MDWIT.