“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world” – Hillary Clinton
In recent years, Kuwait has made significant improvements regarding women's rights. Spurred by the private sector's initiative, women have played a growing role in the country's economy. Either entrepreneurial minds or CEO of prominent national and international corporations, Kuwaiti women have had a preponderant role in society since the country's birth. The Sadu handcraft is a testimony of this legacy that Kuwaiti women carry until today.
The women empowerment process in Kuwait started in the late 1950s, early 1060s with the Women's Society, a group of well-travelled women who, educated overseas, brought a new vision and perspective on females' role in the country. A decade later. Women started appearing in the banking sector.
Nowadays, figures such as Dr Alanoud Al-Sharekh, are the most revered representatives of the women's empowerment movement in Kuwait. For example, through Ibtkar, Dr Al-Sharekh has led a program to empower females in the political arena. Other initiatives revolve around the development of women inclusion programs within local entities.
Another highlighted benefit from an increased gender-inclusion within companies is a positive correlation with the level of productivity. Adding variety to the decision-makers' background improves the decision-making process itself and helps generate more remarkable outcomes. According to a World Economic Forum article, women are 10% more productive than men in the office as they get assigned more work.
The future of women in Kuwait is bright. According to Forbes magazine, today's top 12 Kuwaiti women rank amongst the 100 most powerful Arab women. More and more Kuwaiti entrepreneurs are women. We are so happy to count a few of them within our Group with Dua and Jenan Ajrash respectively establishing a unique café and a restaurant.
Understanding the value of women is fundamental for the long-term sustainable success of Kuwait.