Forum Agenda*

Wednesday, October 22 2008

17:00-19:005 Registration at Intercontinental Phoenicia, Beirut

Day One: 23 October 2008
Women and Leadership

08:00-09:15 Registration
09:30-10:15 Opening ceremony 

Mr. George Kordahi, TV Presenter, Lebanon
Dr. Nadine Abou Zaki, NAWF Executive Chair, Lebanon
Mr. Mazen Hayek, Group Director of Marketing, PR and Commercial, MBC Group, UAE
Mrs. Hanna Sorour, Director of the Department of Women Affairs, General Secretariat of the League of Arab States
H.E. Mr. Tammam Salam, Minister of Culture, Lebanon

10:15-10:45 Award Ceremony  

H.E. Mrs. Bahia Hariri, Minister of Higher Education, Lebanon
Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud, Chairwoman, Nayara Group of Companies, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
H.E. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Chairperson of the Executive Committee, The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy- MIFTAH, Palestine

10:45-11:00 Networking Coffee Break

11:00-12:15 Panel I: The Leadership Mystique

The broad definition of leadership as "influencing and coordinating people to contribute willingly to the good of the collective, and the achievement of its goals" is generally based on western models. A more representative understanding of leadership needs to be applied to the Arab world and Arab women. And while significant progress has been made by Arab Women in terms of education and participation in the work force, their leadership role remains relatively limited.

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• Lessons from leadership coaching: women vs men
• Emerging leadership qualities for Arab women  
• Arab women on regional boards
• Power to the family: Family businesses and their implications on women leadership

Moderator: H.E. Dr. Jihad Azour, Former Minister of Finance, Lebanon
Panelists:

• H.E. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Chairperson of the Executive Committee, The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy- MIFTAH, Palestine
• H.E. Dr. Sandra Cioffi, Former Member at the Italian Parliament Legislature
• Dr. Elisabet Engellau, Programme Director, INSEAD Global Leadership Centre, and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Management (INSEAD, France)
• Mrs. Sarah Al Jassem, Chairman and Managing Director, Kyanat International Holding, Kuwait

12:15-13:30 Panel II: Women in Business

As the number of women and working mothers has increased in the Arab workforce, large companies and corporations are sometimes using that to competitive advantage to reach new market niches or gain a woman's perspective of market needs. But competition is also growing between men and women in the workplace and the challenge is becoming tougher for women. 

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• How has the work environment changed since women entered the business world? 
• Do they offer new approaches and new insights? 
• Are they treated equally in terms of financial compensation and advancement opportunities? 
• Do employers tend to pigeonhole women in specific positions?

Moderator: Mrs. Nadine Hany, T.V. Presenter, Al Arabiya News Channel, UAE
Panelists:

• Dr. Afnan Al-Shuaiby, Secretary General and Chief Executive, Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, UK
• Mrs. Juhaina Al Fardan, Senior Regional Manager, Employee Engagement and Diversity, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, UAE
• Mrs. Katty Marmenout, Researcher, INSEAD, UAE
• Mrs. Hanan Saab, Founder, Owner and Managing Director of Pharmamed and Vice President of the Lebanese League for Women in Business, Lebanon

13:30-15:30 Lunch hosted by the organizers at Mosaic Restaurant and WOK WOK Restaurant, Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel 

15:30-16:45 Panel III: Women Education & Technology

With the changing position of the Arab woman and her growing inroads into business and public domains, and with the growing importance of science and technology in the modern economy there is now an urgent need to develop women's education across the Arab world, with increasing emphasis on science and technology, and thus to promote and take full advantage of their capabilities in all fields.  

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• How can technical knowledge and experience among professional women be widened and promoted?
• Is technological proficiency necessary to accelerate the integration of Arab women and Arab societies generally in the globalization process?
• Does the level of technological knowledge and adaptability define our identity, or will it do so increasingly in the future?
• What are the risks of the increased emphasis on modern technology?  

Moderator: Dr. Kamal Shehadi, Chairman and CEO, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Lebanon

Panelists:

• Mr. Saad Abou-Chakra, Founder and Chairman, Edugates International, UAE
• Ms. Sherri Erickson, Global Manager, Genuine Software Initiative (GSI), Microsoft Corporation, USA
• Mrs. Jacqueline F. Beauchere, Director, Communications and Marketing, Audience Marketing- Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft Corporation, USA
• Ms. Rania Mattar, HP PSG Country Manager for Egypt and Levant, UAE
• Ms. Esra’a Al Shafei, Director, Mideast Youth, Bahrain

16:45-17:00 Networking Coffee Break

17:00-18:00 Panel IV: Women in Politics

Even though Arab Women are becoming more politically active, their influence in politics and public life, and their electoral strength are still perceived as somehow limited. 

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• What are the concerns and role of the woman in politics and To what extent is her integration in social life?
• Is "Equal opportunity " ensured in the Middle East and West?
• Role of media in building the political image of women.
• Is there a "Woman way" to govern?
• Can we talk about a new political model for women?
  

Moderator: H.E. Dr. Tarek Metri, Minister of Information, Lebanon

Panelists:

• H.E. Mrs. Fadela Amara, Urban Affairs Minister, France
• H.E. Dr. Ruwaida Al Ma’aitah, Senator- Member of the Upper Parliament, Jordan
• Mr. Ramsay Najjar, Founder and Chairman of the Strategic Communication Consultancy S2C, Lebanon
• Mrs. Aisha Ibrahim Sultan Khalifa, Manager of the Political Platforms, Dubai Media Incorporated, UAE

21:00 Dinner hosted by the organizers at Awtar Restaurant, Monro Hotel 

Day Two: 24 October 2008
All about Women

 09:00-10:15 Panel V: Men Talk about Women  

In the face of the emergence of a new Arab woman; more educated, more empowered, and more demanding, Arab men seem to be increasingly uneasy. In this exciting panel, they give their views on this revolutionary change underway. The audience responds and reacts. 

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• How do men perceive women and how are they affected by the changing roles of women in the Arab world?
• Do they think some roles are typically feminine and others typically masculine?
• Do men see a conflict between women’s equality/ambition and traditional values?

Moderator: Prof. Marie-Thérèse Khair Badawi Psychoanalyst, Full Professor and Director of Research, USJ- Lebanon

Panelists:

• Mr. Zahi Wehbi, T.V. Presenter, Lebanon
• Dr. Michel Jabre, Professor, Institute of Fine Arts, USJ, Lebanon
• Mr. Youssef  Bazzi, Poet and Journalist, Lebanon

10:15-10:30 Networking Coffee Break

10:30-11:45 Panel VI: Sexuality and Taboos  

The "sexual revolution" that has swept western societies has brought about a major change in gender roles and relations, but also a questioning and sometimes a breakdown of established values. These same issues are posing themselves with increasing urgency in the Arab world.

This Panel will discuss the following issues:

• How are the gender relations and roles changing in the Arab world?
• Is it necessary to break taboos?
• What should be preserved?

Moderator: Prof. Marie-Thérèse Khair Badawi, Psychoanalyst, Full Professor and Director of Research, USJ- Lebanon
Panelists:

• Ms. Inas El Deghedy, Cinema Director, Egypt
• Dr. Thuraya Al-Arrayed, Poetess, Writer, Journalist, and President of the Saudi Association for Media and Communication, Saudi Arabic
• Ms. Sihem Habchi, President, Association (Ni putes Ni soumises), France
• Mrs. Rania Barghout, Senior Presenter, MBC1, United Kingdom

 11:45-13:00 Panel VII: Women in Situations: Image and Inner Self

Violence, abuse, depravity, could these be in the same sentence with beauty, women’s self esteem and dignity? How does the outer image reflect the inner self and vice-versa?
An interactive panel, “Beauty and the Inner Self,” will bring together four incredible women - an actress, a banker, a psychoanalyst, and a TV presenter - who will discuss issues of beauty and conformity.

 This panel will discuss the following issues:

• How do these situations affect women self-perception and build their self-esteem?
• How does it impact their environment?
• Physical and mental violations:
  • New norms of beauty
  • Physical violence

Moderator: Ms. Hibaaq Osman, Founder of V-Day Karama - Egypt, and Founder of the Arab Women’s Fund

Panelists:

• Ms. Carmen Lebbos, Lebanese Actress
• Mrs. Randa Asmar, Lebanese Actress
• Mrs. Kaltham Al-Koheji, Head of Regional Communications HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, UAE
• Ms. Joelle Mardinian, Middle East TV Presenter and Make-Up Artist, MBC, UAE
• Prof. Marie-Thérèse Khair Badawi, Psychoanalyst, Full Professor and Director of Research, USJ- Lebanon

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