Dr. Savita Kumra, Professor of Management in the School of Business Administration at American University of Sharjah (AUS), has facilitated a session at the 2019 Women’s Economic Empowerment Global Summit (WEEGS). The summit, which ran from December 10 to 11 at Sharjah’s Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Center, was a joint initiative of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and NAMA Women Advancement Establishment and was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment.

Dr. Kumra hosted a workshop for summit delegates entitled “Making Merit Count for Women: Time to Get What We Deserve.” Participants were introduced to the concept of merit and what implications society’s current understanding of merit means for women. The workshop engaged participants with the idea of “deservingness” among women, with each participant developing personal strategies for ensuring deservingness in their career is evidenced and their merit recognized.

Dr. Kumra said of her workshop:

“Commentaries on the issue of deservingness, as in the Oxford English Dictionary definition, draw extensively on meanings around fairness, value and worth. Through this workshop, we were able to draw a conceptual distinction between merit and deservingness, where the former is seen as an objective measure while the latter is founded largely on judgments of value and worth whereby deservingness is both claimed and conferred. This enabled participants to think about deservingness in their own careers, and equipped them to overcome the challenges they face in receiving the recognition to which they are entitled.”

Eleni Papailia, Manager for AUS Executive Education, said: “Encouraging employers to make the most of their female employees’ skills can improve productivity, reduce inequality and contribute to economic growth.” 

The workshop was organized by AUS Executive Education in collaboration with long-time partners Sharjah for Capability Development (SCD), part of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation. The workshop was well-placed at the summit, which was designed to address female participation in the economy and the advancement of women professionally, promoting equal opportunities for female entrepreneurs at a local and global level. There were many opportunities at the summit to advance discussions on best practice for female economic and professional advancement and improve female participation in STEM and other sectors where women are typically underrepresented, such as procurement, finance and city planning.

ENDS