Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

2006 GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN BRINGS WOMEN FROM 88 COUNTRIES

TOGETHER TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT & BUSINESS

 

IBM Delegation Highlights Innovation and Technology as Key

 to Growth of Businesses Owned, Led and Influenced by Women

 

ARMONK, NY –August 2006 – With increasing educational and economic opportunities for women and building strategic relationships among their key goals, more than 900 women from 88 countries traveled to Cairo, Egypt last month for the 2006 Global Summit of Women. IBM, a conference sponsor, figured prominently into the event, sending a delegation of corporate executives, managers and employees from four continents who provided insight, business solutions and an opportunity for local women business owners to attend the Summit .

 

The Summit opened against the backdrop of the Great Pyramid of Giza, with Suzanne  Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt welcoming attendees to her country. The setting provided a powerful reminder of the role technology and innovation played in the development of ancient civilizations, as well as the opportunities they present now, and in the future, to help level the playing field for women seeking a major role in driving the economy of their countries and globally.

 

During the keynote luncheon hosted by IBM, Marilyn Johnson, the company’s Vice President, of Market Development, hosted a panel discussion entitled  “Growing a Business: A Dialogue with Women Enterprise Leaders”. “Companies owned, led and influenced by women are making a significant impact on the world economy, and this Summit has united us in a global sisterhood, providing a forum to network, foster mentoring and develop effective strategies for improving women’s economic status around the world,” she told the gathering. “IBM recognizes the economic impact that companies owned, led or influenced by women will have on the global marketplace, and we have established a network of executives and Business Partners in cities around the world who are focused on providing innovative IT solutions to help these companies succeed.”

 

Members of the IBM delegation also shared their expertise in panel discussions on such topics as:  Developing a Brand for your Business and Successfully Managing Personal and Business Risks. “Participating in the Summit reaffirmed for me how technology truly empowers the world,” said Wendy Papworth, Senior Solutions Specialist, IBM and a featured panelist.  “The need for technology was clearly demonstrated time-and-time again from the smallest micro-enterprise in to the SME's with multi-million dollar companies.  What is so inspirational is how women from different parts of the world linked up to do business; lobby governments and share experiences on how they have grown their businesses."

 

In support of a Global Women Initiative launched by the company earlier this year, the IBM delegation also hosted an Executive Roundtable Luncheon for twenty top women managers from the IBM Cairo Technology Development Centres (TDC), and collaborated with the TDC to host a press conference announcing the implementation of the company’s first diversity project in the Middle East . The “Women’s Development Community Portal” a partnership between the TDC and the National Council of Women (NCW), will be an e-source of information for women in all regions throughout Africa and the Middle East, with plans for global expansion in the future.

 

During the press conference, Dr. Farkhonda Hassan, Secretary General of the National Council of Women, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Human Development and Local Administration, expressed her gratitude. “I am honored that IBM is here with us today, and I’m proud to be associated with a company that is focused on women’s issues. The NCW is working to secure the economic empowerment of women in and throughout the Middle East . Traditional women are smart and they want to work. We are helping to improve their status and standing in the business community by providing the education and tools necessary to achieve their goals, and we are happy to have a company like IBM supporting our efforts.”

 

As the Summit drew to a conclusion, attention shifted from this year’s successful event to plans for next year’s conference and efforts to get more students and younger women involved. During the closing ceremony, Marilyn Johnson announced that IBM would be a sponsor of the 2007 Summit in Berlin, and that the company would explore creating opportunities for young women to attend the conference. Twenty-year-old Nadine El-Hadad, Head of Alumni Committee Student Board, iEARN and the youngest participant in the Cairo Summit, was especially delighted to hear that other young women may benefit by attending the 2007 conference. “I felt lost when I first arrived at the conference, so I focused on the workshops and put the skills I was learning into practice,” she said. “Being a part of the Summit was so inspiring. When I came here, I had thoughts of becoming an Ambassador. Now, I’m thinking of becoming a Minister.”

                            

 

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of on demand business. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com <http://www.ibm.com/> .

 

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Contact:            Wanda McKenzie/IBM Market Development
                        (770) 858-8155/mckenzie@us.ibm.com