DUBAI: The Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has urged organisations to take sustainable action to support women’s ambition and build men’s awareness of barriers that women face on their way to the top.

Rosmah, who is a patron of the WIL (Women in Leadership) Forum Asia Series, said studies had shown that the corporate culture was twice more important in determining whether women believed they could succeed.

“The critical role of corporate culture in achieving gender diversity particularly at the top of corporations is confirmed in a survey of 1,400 managers from a wide range of companies worldwide by McKinsey last year,” she said in her keynote address on “Achieving Greater Gender Balance In The Economy” at the Women in Leadership Economic Forum here yesterday.

She also cited an Australian study which showed that men perceived family commitment to be the only barrier to women’s advancement.

A majority of women aspired to reach to the top of their career even if it required making sacrifices in their personal lives, she said. Hence, she said organisations must nurture a culture that built respect, fostered inclusiveness, promoted diversity in leadership styles, as well as embraced people’s unique skill and qualities.

Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy, the two-day forum which started on Thursday was attended by 300 influential business and thought leaders.

The forum aimed to make change by discussing the key issues on women in leadership. — Bernama