Women on Boards Observatory
The business case for increasing the number of women on corporate boards is clear. Women are successful in university studies and at the onset of their careers, but attrition rates increase as they progress through an organization. Women represent 60 percent of university graduates globally and 80 percent of consumer-goods-purchasing decision-makers. Evidence suggests that companies with strong female representation at board and top-management levels perform better than those without and that gender-diverse boards have a positive impact on performance.
The Women on Boards Observatory aims to improve the gender balance of corporate boards in Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by sensitizing male board members to gender issues, qualifying women from different sectors to be appointed to corporate boards, and advocating for policy and legislative changes that institutionalize gender diversity on corporate board.
Flagship Activities
Women on Boards Monitoring Reports
Providing a snapshot of the representation of women on boards in listed companies, the banking sector and the public enterprise sector in Egypt. The report also includes a simple indicator for women on boards in Egypt and identifies the gap of women on boards in each sector to reach the target of the 2030 strategy.
Board Placement Service
The board placement service will place and promote female talents on boards thus, helping organizations in realizing the benefits of increased diversity and connecting board-ready women with CEOs and Board Executives.
Egyptian Board Ready Women Database
A database for Egyptian Board Ready Women. It includes current female board members in addition to eligible board ready women to serve on boards.
By joining the database, you will receive board opportunities from different companies across several sectors.
Partner Organizations
Regional Networks
National Networks
Knowledge Sharing
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The Women on Boards Consortium held a comprehensive 10-day training on the needs and demands of being on a cooperate board in January 2018.
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A. Abdelzaher and D. Abdelzaher, "Women on Boards and Firm Performance in Egypt: Post the Arab Spring." The Journal of Developing Areas. Forthcoming 2018.
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Ararat, Melsa and El-Helaly, Moataz and Shehata, Nermeen F. 2017 "Gender Diversity and Firm Performance Before and After the Egyptian Revolution". AUC Avenue.
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Howaidy, Ghada. 2016 “Women on Corporate Boards in Egypt: Time for Change”. Flynn, P., Haynes, K., and Kilgour, M., editors Overcoming Challenges to Gender Equality in the Workplace. Greenleaf Publishing/PRME Book Series.
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An intensive six-day – three consecutive weekends – training aimed at equipping women executives from different fields with the required skills to compete for and reach board positions. The first run, which kicked off in November 2014, was offered in collaboration between the AUC School of Business and International Finance Corporation (IFC) and covered two modules on corporate governance and leadership.
In the News
The Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform launches the annual report of the Egyptian Observatory for Women on Boards of Directors for 2018
March 20, 2019
Akhbar Al Youm
Stock Exchange and School of Business Expand Women on Board Partnership Agreement
November 8, 2018
Al Ahram
Egyptian Exchange and AUC Collaborate to Improve Female Representation
July 18, 2017
Al Masry Al Yom
Stock Exchange Signs Deal with AUC to Support Women Participation
July 18, 2017
Youm 7
MOU to support Women on Boards Observatory at AUC
July 18, 2017
Egypt Today
EGX and AUC's School of Business Collaborate to Improve the Representation of Women on Corporate Boards
July 19, 2017
American Chamber
Women on Boards – The American University in Cairo – Interview
June 8, 2015
PRiME Time
Women on Boards Program kicks off
November 8, 2014
United Nations Development Program