The event was attended by Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain and Sheikha Hussa Saad Al-Bdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah of Kuwait.

With attracting qualified females in senior positions often cited as a key challenge in the GCC, BNP Paribas saw the need and opportunity to be the first company to organise a high profile conference in this field, said a bank statement.

The Women and Leadership conference is a human resources and social responsibility initiative aimed to: recognise the crucial role that leading women play in the region; reflect the importance of diversity within the workplace, and discuss challenges and recommended solutions of women empowerment in the GCC, it said.

The conference gathered some of the bank’s employees and representatives from all sectors of society including government, non-government, private, and media sectors.
 
A series of presentations, case studies, and testimonials marked the day. ‘The Empowerment of Women as a Development Tool’; ‘Businesswomen’s Achievements in the GCC’; ‘Unleashing Entrepreneurship’; ‘Plural Identities’, and ‘Arab Women’s Educational Achievements’ were among the topics presented and discussed.

A recommendations session facilitated by Nima Abu Wardeh, founder of Mzone and presenter of BBC’s Middle East Business Report, concluded with a series of suggestions made by the audience to be implemented by a working committee representing all sectors.

On the occasion, Jean- Christophe Durand, regional director – BNP Paribas GCC Countries, commented: ‘Diversity is one of BNP Paribas’ strategic priorities in the GCC region, and we make every effort to develop it further, and to be even better at being the bank for a changing world – a bank that partners with its stakeholders and employees to meet today’s challenges. The Women and Leadership conference is a live example of our efforts to make a positive contribution both internally and externally to the region.’

The GCC is one of BNP Paribas' key markets, due to its financial power, fast accelerating openness and its increased sophistication. As a result, the company’s headcount in the GCC has more than doubled over the last few years, and will increase by 25 per cent by 2010, Durand said.  –TradeArabia News Service