The five women selected for the WLP will be assigned a series of projects in departments outside of their own, to increase their exposure to the other business units and groom them to take on more responsibilities. Soft skills instruction, coursework and on-the-job training will all be utilised to further develop and hone their skills.

“This initiative recognizes the important role women play in the workforce and encourages all of us to pursue the professional goals we have set for ourselves,” said Dina Amin, one of the five selected for the programme and the head of Business Cards at Barclays Bank UAE.

The programme was restricted to the middle management grades because it tends to be the 'tipping point' in the professional career of a woman.

A six months mentoring programme will be created for each of the five employees. Following completion of the programme each of the participants will be asked to mentor a less senior female employee at Barclays – thereby extending the reach and efficiency of the programme.

The WLP programme in the UAE is a part of the larger, award winning Diversity and Inclusion campaign that Barclays has implemented across all of the markets it operates in.-TradeArabia News Service