WIB Forum: moving business from locality to internationality
Syria-Regional, Business, 5/23/2005

About 200 women from 27 Arab and foreign countries including 450 Syrian business women in addition to international well known politicians are taking part in the current Damascus Women in Business WIB Forum.

"The WIB forum aims at improving business women's capability to build economic and developing companies based on exchanging skills and experiences between Europe and the Middle East as well as encouraging new pioneers to develop their small and intermediate projects," Mrs. Neamat Gouda, a businesswoman from Egypt told ArabicNews.com.

She underlined the importance of the Forum in highlighting woman's increasing role acquiring higher job positions, public relation sciences, and in mastering new work experiences.

"The forum is to create a main base for building companies and starting new projects as well exchanging knowledge and skills with other women in the world," said pharmacist Alia Turjuman a Syrian businesswoman who runs a factory for plasma and medicaments.

Founder- Follow the women, Mrs. Datta Reagan, said that it is a real achievement to run an event like this in any country and a massive achievement for Syria to host it. She emphasized that having so many women from all around the world to attend an event and network and work together will be of great importance of women and Syria.

She added "to see many women at the top of their professions from both Arab countries, Syria and other countries must be good for the global economy, because we know that women every where have to work harder in order to get to the top." She noted that women also work hard at business and they have also to look after their families, so they have a double role, adding that women have the ability to do many things at the same time.

She said that the forum will come out with the result that "if we work together locally, and internationally, we can be extremely powerful force in the world of business."

She recommended that women have to use this experience to get to know each other, especially the Arab women and the European women.

"I suppose as women we dream of a forum as this to bring so many women in business and NGOs together," she commented adding that this forum is an inspiration for the future.

Mrs. Randa Berri said that the Arab woman in our region, Syria, Lebanon and Jordanin particular have borne the consequences of pressures made on the regions throughout ages. She has been always stubborn and enthusiast and able to contribute to the process of building up despite hardships.

She said that the Damascus WIB Forum, blessed with the care given by Mrs. Asma al-Assad is a very important step at a time when the region is drastically in need of team efforts of both men and women alike.

Shell Syria general manger Mr. Campbell Keir said the forum aims at encouraging the development and promotion of women in business. He said that women think differently from men, noting "we want women because they think differently and bring different views and opportunities for business." He indicated that working women have different challenges from men. They look at the family, the children and parents. So work style terms and conditions should be adopted to help women in business making."

He said that WIB forum will allow women to share success, their experiences and help each other to remove obstacles so as to be successful in businesses.

Mr. Keir expected the forum to be a great success in creating multiple working relations and respecting others; consequently it enhances crucial values such as truth, frankness, communications, teamwork and higher degree of proficiency among its participants.

Previous Stories:
  Shell Syria general manager Campbell Keir   (5/21/2005)
  Mrs. Hissa al-Sabah arrived in Damascus   (5/21/2005)
  Woman in Business International Forum convened today   (5/21/2005)
  Khulud Halaby: WIB to create intellectual, social and economic interaction   (5/18/2005)

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