- February 9, 2020
- Posted by: Administrator
- Category: Business News
While Emirati serial entrepreneur Sara Al Madani said that attitudes are changing, finance in particular remains a ‘man’s world’
There is still a shortage of women on the boards of companies, largely as a result of an assumption that they are too “emotional” for the role, particularly in the finance sector, according to Emirati serial entrepreneur Sara Al Madani.
Al Madani – who has founded or co-founded a number of companies in both the UAE and US – is also a board member of the UAE Ministry of Economy’s SME Council and of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In an interview with Arabian Business, Al Madani said that in the UAE and across the wider region there is still a shortage of women sitting on the boards of companies.
“It happens most in the finance sector,” she said. “The reason why women don’t sit on boards is because men think that they are emotional, and therefore their decision making process is completely different. When you’re emotional, you tend to change your mind a lot.”
In many cases, Al Madani added, the men she encounters through the course of her work often find that their boards have benefitted from the presence of women.
“Every board that has women, when I ask the men on the board, the differences [they mention] are that they fight less, are more respectful towards each other, even smile more,” she added. “It’s like a splash of colour in a black and white room. They’re forced to act more civil.”
While Al Madani said that attitudes towards women on boards was “100 percent” changing in the UAE, the finance sector in particular remains “a man’s world”.
“And it’s still a man’s world. Men believe that women aren’t good at finances, although [a majority] of the graduates with A-grades are women,” she said. “If they have the educational background, there’s no reason to think that they won’t be able to do the job. They just need a chance.”