Ted talks videos - the 3 lessons on success from an Arab Businesswoman

My video's topic is the succes of Arab businesswoman.

First, Leila Hoteit says that when she was young the number of girls who pursue her studies at the foreign country is low. And she tells the difference between Western women and Arab women --> cultural rigidity. In fact, the rights of the Arab women are not the same than the western women. In Western countries, the women are more free. For example, in Saudi Arabia, the women must to have the authorization of her husband, or her father, or her brother to open a bank account. It's absurd for us because we know that the women and men must have the same right and the same duties. Moreover, the access to the education for the girls is limited and in the working world, there are many inequalities between women and men. It's also the case for the occidental countries.

After she denounces the sexism of her boss when she works in UK. According him, the woman must to stay at home when she has got children. I think that the people like him don't understand that the child is not only the child of the women but also the child of the men. I think the woman can equally have a child and make a career. She is not forced to make a choice between both. But, thanks to this remarks Leila progress in her career. And I think that the remarks have to give to the women the strength to pursue her career and dreams and not stop them.

According Leila, the Arab woman (and I think western women too) must be married with someone who support her career because in the Middle East countries the place of Arab man and Arab woman is not equaling the society.

Finally, she says that the Arab world progress. She gives the example of United Arab Emirates which have eight female ministers (28 % of the cabinet). But I think that all countries must to progress in this subject because for example in France, there are 107 women deputy against 422 men deputy. If the representation of the women in politics is low, the right of the women can't progress, in my opinion.

Do you think that female ministers in the UAE are really a sign that the Arab world is progressing? I feel that only a bottom up progression is the real sign of progress as opposed to a top down progression where a few women get elite positions. Seeing a woman PM or a few women board members is a false dawn. We need to see equality in the working and lower middle classes of our society for true progress.

I think that having women in the arab country's government is good because it can give example to the basic household that the place of women in this society changes.