Latest news with #businesswomen
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Are Things Really Better For Professional Women Today?
As women in business, we are no strangers to uphill battles. 'Things are better now.' 'It's easier than it was when I was starting out.' 'You're lucky you're doing this now and not back then.' If you're a woman in business, you've heard these words. And how do they land? Do you shrug them off—or do they strike something deeper? If they make you angry, I understand. Platitudes do little to comfort us when we're in the midst of a battle—especially one that, by some measures, we appear to be winning. As women in business, we are no strangers to uphill battles—or to the minimizing language that follows them. Here are the remarks I hear far too often these days. Some women—those who have found a moment of stability, or who are no longer in the thick of it—offer these words like deflated rescue buoys. But they do not help. In fact, they risk setting us back. These comments add credence to the common misconception that the fight for gender equity is behind us. They quiet our voices and shame those still struggling to be heard. This misplaced notion confuses ease with accessibility. Nothing about womanhood is easy today—and arguably, it never has been. And ease was never the prize we fought, marched, and bled for. We fought for access, for equity, and for a seat at the table where decisions are made. Yes, today's women are more educated, more employed, and more independent than any generation before. But that progress on paper does not mean the struggle is over. We aren't better off, not in all the ways that truly matter. We placed our trust in the systems around us, and they failed us. We believed in a dream wrapped in the appearance of progress—one labeled 'accessibility,' but hollow at its core. And perhaps without realizing it, we let one another down—not from a lack of love or sisterhood, but from forgetting how heavy it is to carry all of this alone. Many of us grew up believing we would be cherished, valued, honored, and adorned. And if you are like me, you are still passing that dream to our daughters, even as we quietly carry its weight, hoping it takes shape before they step into our shoes. Yes, we can vote. We can open credit cards. We can even get divorced without facing total social exile. But these hard-won milestones—while worthy of celebration—do not amount to ease. We are still navigating a world where our reproductive rights are under attack. Where a miscarriage can mean legal scrutiny or worse. Where access to affordable healthcare, comprehensive postpartum care, and paid leave remains elusive. Where raising children is seen as a private duty, not a public investment, and the right to choose is met with silence, not support, and where increasing sexual violence continues to threaten our sense of safety and autonomy. The ability to open a credit card does not fill the void left by the absence of structural care. The right to divorce does not erase the fact that many women are still measured by their bodies and what they produce. There is nothing easy about being a woman today. There never has been. We are not ungrateful, this generation of mine. We are unfinished. We are standing on the shoulders of those women who came before us, and the job isn't done. Let's stop measuring progress by ease. Instead, let's work together to build a world where the next generations do not have to fight the same battles.
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Fortune reveals 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list for 2025
DUBAI: Fortune has announced the 2025 Most Powerful Women in Business list, featuring 100 leading businesswomen from sectors including finance, tech, healthcare, telecom, retail and energy. Its publication coincides with Fortune's inaugural Most Powerful Women International conference which is taking place in Riyadh on May 20-21. This year's edition of the list features 51 women from the US and 49 from other countries, including one each from the UAE and Kuwait. Hana Al-Rostamani, group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank, comes in at No. 76. She is currently the only female chief executive of a publicly listed corporation in the UAE, and serves on several boards, including the Institute of International Finance, the US-UAE Business Council, and the Arab Monetary Fund's cross-border payment system Buna. Shaikha Al-Bahar, deputy group CEO at the National Bank of Kuwait, features at No. 92. She has risen through the ranks since joining the bank in 1977 and was appointed to her current role in 2014. Al-Bahar is the only woman on NBK's executive management team. She is also chair of the National Bank of Kuwait France, and the National Bank of Kuwait Egypt, as well as a board member of the bank's UK subsidiary. 'The rise of women as CEOs is continuing, which is great,' said Alyson Shontell, editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Fortune. She told Arab News: 'There have been some years we've been doing the list where it has taken a step back. (But) this year, 11 percent of Fortune 500 (companies are) run by women, and that's the highest it has ever been.' There are several studies showing the correlation between 'diversity of thought and background' in leadership ranks and the financial outcome of a company, and so, 'we track it, and we track the progress (in) the hopes of making business better,' Shontell added. Mary Barra, CEO of @GM and No.1 on the 2025 #FortuneMPW list, shares what power means to her. — FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) May 20, 2025 The top 10 Most Powerful Women in Business 2025 are: 1. Mary Barra, chair and CEO, General Motors. 2. Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. 3. Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup. 4. Lisa Su, chair and CEO, AMD. 5. Ana Botin, executive chairman, Banco Santander. 6. Tan Su Shan, deputy CEO and group head of institutional banking, DBS Group. 7. Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO, TIAA. 8. Marta Ortega, chairperson, Inditex. 9. Abigail Johnson, chairman and CEO, Fidelity Investments. 10. Meng Wanzhou, deputy chairwoman, rotating chairwoman, and chief financial officer, Huawei. Compiled by Fortune editors, the list is based on several factors such as company size and health, as well as an executive's career trajectory, influence, innovation, and efforts to make business better. The full list can be found here.
Entrepreneur
11-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
4 Reminders Every Mompreneur Needs This Mother's Day
As a mompreneur, I understand the chaos and fulfillment of juggling business and family, and on this Mother's Day, I want to remind you that what we're building truly matters. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Dear Mompreneur, How are you? We're almost halfway through the year, summer is knocking on the door and I don't know about y'all's kids, but mine seem to be fighting a different bug every week — so I wanted to check in on my mompreneurs this Mother's Day. Have you ever Googled the definition of entrepreneurship? I did it recently, and according to Google, it is "the activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit." At least they put the word 'hope' in there! Entrepreneurship can be hard. So, I want to know… how are you, really? If you're like me, you're always thinking about your business, your goals, next week, payroll, content, your family, dinner plans and the list, truly, goes on and on. Do you also have 37 tabs open right now at 5:56 PM on a Friday? Are you thinking about what needs to be done/ordered/created/etc. even while trying to sign off and "shut off" your business brain for a bit? Do you also feel like today was great and balanced, but somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering if a storm lurks on the horizon? Do you feel like you're not doing enough, but then (almost simultaneously) also worry you're not spending enough time with your kids, family and friends? Do you worry that business will dry up? That you won't bring in new business? Do you worry that you're really not good enough to be doing what you're doing, and people will eventually figure it out? I have talked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years (and have been an entrepreneur myself since 2007), and I can tell you that the majority of us feel this way. But the crazy thing is that most of us keep going. Despite the feelings, thoughts, stress and anxiety that entrepreneurship can bring. So, I just wanted to send a quick note to remind you (and maybe me, ha!) of a few things: Related: How Being a 'Mompreneur' Prepared Me to Run a Multi-Million-Dollar Business 1. What you are doing is important You wouldn't have felt the urge to do what you do if it weren't important. You are providing a service or product that people need. Just because you might not be where you want to be or have the sales you desire, doesn't mean it isn't great. It likely means they just don't know about it yet! Whether you put sparkles in someone's hair to help them feel beautiful or you share your mama's recipe in a restaurant to make people feel loved, you are providing something special. Please don't stop. 2. What you're doing is hard Remember those paychecks every 2 weeks? Paid vacation time? A tax refund? I won't even bring up insurance… Please know that you're stronger than most, and don't ever forget it. Many people dream of being their own boss, but many, if not most, will not pursue this dream. Because it's freaking hard. "A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there," John Assaraf said. Humans love to feel safe and comfortable, and diving into entrepreneurship is the exact opposite, so it can feel really hard and uncomfortable. With discomfort comes impostor syndrome (it's real, y'all) and not feeling super confident sometimes. Please know that we all encounter this and re-read #1. 3. What you're doing is changing the world Even if it doesn't seem like it. You should be really, really proud of yourself. You started a business to help people, and that is one of the greatest things someone can do. Yes, we need to make money, but the root of starting a business is to help solve a problem for people. And, please don't forget about the positive impact you have on your employees and their families. You are literally helping people put food on their tables. Send their kids to school. Save for retirement. That is amazing, friend! Related: This Working Mom Overcame Decades of Employment Bias to Become The CEO of Her Own 6-Figure Company. Here's How She Did It. 4. What you're doing is setting an example For your kids, your family, your friends and people you don't even know. I can promise you that you are inspiring people daily, even if they don't tell you. When you show up every day, you have a ripple effect on so many and in many different ways. Adversity, resilience and grit are part of entrepreneurship and if we can lead by example, we are showing those around us that they can do hard things, too. Joy, happiness and celebration are also part of the journey. Let's continue to show people that we can endure and enjoy the peaks and valleys so others know that it's possible. So, friend, how do you feel now? Do you remember your greatness? Do you know how appreciated you are? Do you realize how special you really are? I hope so. You inspire me every day. Sincerely, Your Fellow Mompreneur Friend P.S. Happy Mother's Day! Close those tabs and just enjoy today, you deserve it!
