IGCF: Top Women Influencers Debate Female Leadership And Its Role In Digital Societies

A panel of distinguished female politicians, entrepreneurs and academics took part in a discussion on the final day of the 7^th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) at Expo Centre Sharjah to discuss the role of women leaders in the digital future.

Vanessa D’Ambrosio the youngest former Head of State of San Marino, Baroness Michelle Mone, OBE, British businesswoman and advocate of women’s rights, HE Majd Schweikeh, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Jordan and Dr Latifa Alabdulkraim, Computer Science and Information Professor at King Saud University of Saudi Arabia, summed up their experiences and aspirations for women in technology.

In addressing the subject of empowerment, HE Majd Schweikeh described social media as a world without limits. “It has effectively changed life as we know it. There are no boundaries anymore, but we must always enjoy its possibilities with responsibility and respect. The empowerment it brings to women is immense. In some of the more remote areas of Jordan, the government (has) set up 190 ‘Knowledge Stations’ to provide Internet access and training. I went to visit one of them and I found women who had never even left their village – they were using social media to sell their crafts across the world. That is truly empowering,” she said.