Building powerful economies requires expanding the leadership role of women in society

Basic education is no longer the sole focus; efforts are invested in creating programs that promote business knowledge and skills and empower women, which will in turn enrich their communities and add to the economic value of the region.

Considering the rising importance of women development and entrepreneurship, GEMS Education is collaborating with the Women In Leadership Forum (WIL Forum), organized by naseba on October 25th-27th, 2009, to host an empowering discussion on encouraging women leadership.

The panel discussion will take place on October 27th, 2009 at Atlantis, The Palm and will feature the following experts in the field of education: Kim Al-Sahhaf, Head of Education sector, Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA); Robin Appleby, Principal, Dubai American Academy; Margaret Corcoran, Senior Director, School Improvement Partnership; Professor Deborah Eyre, International Educational Consultant; Annika Small, Education Director, Tony Blair Faith Foundation; Professor Ralph Tabberer, Chief of Schools, GEMS Education.

They will provide their own personal testimonies on how they succeeded in climbing the career tree, the support they received, the setbacks they faced and the lessons learnt. The discussion will mainly focus on improving initiatives to encourage and educate women to take up decision making roles.

"Women are already highly active players in designing and implementing policies that are shaping the world for the future. This conference gives us the chance to examine if we are creating the opportunities, developing the skills, and building the support structure and confidence for women to be leaders, today and tomorrow. GEMS is an educational organization, operating globally - We employee nearly 3,000 women and we never forget that women are half our future."

Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman, GEMS Education explained.

"We are proud to collaborate with GEMS Education for the WIL Forum in stressing the importance of women education. We both aim at giving the means to women to develop and become leaders in the business and political fields. The Women In Leadership Forum provides participants with a platform to network with global leaders and inspire them to discover their goals and further enhance their achievements." commented Sophie Le Ray, CEO of naseba, the organizer of the WIL Forum.

By gathering successful leaders, the WIL Forum gives the opportunity to women from all industries and all regions to share experiences, build their self-confidence as well as gain new skills to become a leader.

The WIL Forum, taking place on October 25th-27th, 2009 in Dubai, is organized by naseba under the Patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.