Eskadenia takes part in 'Women of ICT at Work' regional initiative promoted by British Council

The initiative networking event was held by the British Council to connect regional professional women with their British counterparts under the theme 'Preparing Women for the Digital Future: Crossing Cultural Barriers'. The conference included key women from the regional ICT sector.

The networking event aimed at building capacity and creating synergy among women participants, sharing experience, and raising profile for ICT women professional in the sector. In addition, the event succeeded to put together areas for future collaboration and professional networking between the UK and regional professional organisations.

Being an entrepreneur herself, and an active professional in the Jordanian information and communications technology sector, having co-founded one of the leading software houses in the region, Eskadenia Software, Executive Director, Doha Abdelkhaleq, briefed the audience about the efforts of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology MOICT and the role of Information Technology Association int@j in Jordan and presented the national ICT strategy. A discussion followed about the role of the private ICT sector in Jordan, the challenges faced, the goals achieved, and the attraction and road ahead for ICT in Jordan, from the perspective of a private investor.

Doha Abdelkhaleq, Executive Director of Eskadenia Software, said:

"Our aim was not only to present ourselves as a private sector but also to step forward as part of the successful Jordanian efforts nationwide that are focused on automation and IT. We would like to channel attention capital and venture ideas that would include Jordanian women in those endeavours."

Participating women from Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, UK, amongst others, shared their thoughts on behalf of their peers in their countries, revolving around emerging technologies and access to resources, job opportunities and how to bridge the gender gap, elevating entrepreneurship and innovation and promoting cross-cultural bonding.

This initiative comes as a part of the Women at Work programme developed by the British Council with the local support of the Women in IT organisation in Lebanon and Equalitec from the UK.

The Women at Work Programme:

Women at Work is a programme that links women in professions where they are under-represented in the Middle East with their counterparts in the UK. Its purpose is to encourage young women in the region to explore different career options and challenge perceptions and stereotypes of the types of careers that are suitable for women. The activities in the programme also support the professional development of the women already working in non-typical fields, and in doing so, helps them take their place as equals in the labour market and act as role models.

The programme started in 2007 and to date has involved; exchange visits between professional women in the region and the UK, four networking events, awareness raising and outreach programmes for school and college students, and raising the debate about the role of women in non-traditional careers.