FemForward MENA Gala Closing Event

On August 2, we were honored to co-sponsor the FemForward MENA gala closing event that welcomed to Jerusalem the first cohort of Israeli and Moroccan women participating in the program. Co-founded by Rachel Wagner Rosenzweig, CEO of FemForward, and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the UAE-Israel Business Council, FemForward MENA aims to advance women in hi-tech in the Middle East and North Africa to management positions. The organization is solving the central problem facing women in the workplace, which is the "broken rung": The biggest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership is at the first step up to manager.

The partnership between Israel, Morocco, UAE and Bahrain on this program is a testament to the tremendous opportunities that opened up in the wake of the Abraham Accords. According to FemForward MENA founders, this is the first time that young women from Israel and Morocco's technology sectors have come together. The program sets them up to pave their career paths together while creating lifelong regional friendships across MENA.

Naomi Maryles, DLA Piper Israel Managing Director, spoke to participants about how careers can take many turns, but the negotiation and management skills they are learning through this program - skills that women often don't instinctively develop -- are critical no matter how far up the management ladder they eventually climb.

With offices across MENA, we feel especially connected to this initiative, and look forward to participating in other FemForward MENA events as the program incorporates participants from the UAE and Bahrain in the near future.