Maya Al Hawary
Health conscious eatery and creative hub Flow hosted their latest Flow Talks Series to mark Emirati Women’s Day. The motivating event took place on August 28, the same day the special day is celebrated. The newest edition of the popular series, believed to be the biggest to date, recognised the efforts of pioneering Emirati women paving the way for the next generation.
Amna Al Haddad, the UAE’s champion weightlifter and motivational speaker, led the talk at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers by opening up the floor to the truly inspirational female panel of experts, which included Maya Al Hawary, Maitha Hamad Zayed Al Eisaei, Leila Al Marashi and Eman Al Mahmoud. They shared key points and examples aimed at backing the 2019 Emirati Women’s Day theme, ‘Women, Icons of Tolerance,’ set by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation. The theme highlights how patient, caring and capable women are when it comes to raising families and succeeding in the work place. After the stimulating talks, Al Haddad directed a question and answer session.
Here’s what to know about the four truly visionary Emirati women who made up the high-profile power panel at the free, open-to-all session.
Maya Al Hawary
As well as being the Chairwoman of the board of governors and the director of planning at Dubai Carmel School, Al Hawary is the first PhD scholar to research emotional intelligence and how it affects leadership. A certified trainer, she works on soft skills development across government entities throughout the seven emirates. Al Hawary is also a TEDx speaker and was given the “Ambassador of Knowledge” title for the UAE Red Crescent in 2017 and 2018 for being a voluntary speaker.
Maitha Hamad Zayed Al Eisaei
As Communication Department Head of Strata Manufacturing, the advanced composite aero-structures manufacturing company owned by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, Al Eisaei is a big player within the regional and global aerospace industry. She plays an important role in a typically male-dominated field and deals with positioning and managing Strata’s media image.
Leila Al Marashi
In addition to being Corporate Communications Vice President at the National Central Cooling company, Al Marashi is an artist, designer, entrepreneur and advocate for women. She is behind homegrown label Sugar Vintage, which has become an internationally recognised brand, as well as the Cado gifting app. Involved in environmental issues and sustainability, she has presented at the Emirates Environmental Group Conference & Emirates Green Council.
Eman Al Mahmoud
As Partnerships and Research Manager at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, a government entity that aims to encourage and embolden the next generation of entrepreneurs and provide them with a launch pad for success, one of Al Mahmoud’s roles is to promote meaningful relationships with stakeholders from the government, semi-government and private sector. A campaigner for women, she used to be a strategist at Sharjah Business Women Council, which involved shaping the role that the institution took in coaching and backing the nation’s female entrepreneurs.
