By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: As the world marks International Women’s Day, women leaders from the Women Board of Directors (WBD) network have come together with a collective message of solidarity and leadership at a time of global and regional uncertainty. In a series of reflections shared with media, senior women executives and board leaders highlight the power of community, mentorship, and resilience in shaping the next generation of leadership.
WBD members emphasized the importance of supporting one another, creating strong networks, and championing women at every level of leadership. T heir insights demonstrate how women leaders are shaping organizations, industries, and communities with courage and collaboration.
Poonam Chawla, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Women Board of Directors: “On International Women’s Day, we often celebrate individual achievements: the first woman to chair a board, the youngest woman to lead a committee, a woman who is a startup founder in a male-dominated sector… But achievement, I have learned, is not a solo sport. Behind every woman who leads with courage is a network that sharpened her, steadied her, and reminded her she was never alone.”
Sanaa Ouahmane, CEO, AW Rostamani Mobility & Trading: “A board seat is not symbolic. It carries responsibility for decisions that shape businesses, industries, and the communities they serve. Every time we lead with conviction, make difficult decisions, and challenge conventional thinking, we strengthen the institutions we are entrusted to guide. Progress happens when leadership reflects capability and perspective. The goal is simple: build organisations where the next generation steps forward through stronger systems, not through barriers being forced aside.”
Sherifa Hady, VP, WW Commercial & SMB Sales, HPE Networking: “In boardrooms today, we rush to solutions. But great leadership starts with sitting still long enough to understand. Empathy is not a detour. It is the shortest path to impact. This International Women’s Day, I honour the women who led not by commanding rooms — but by first understanding the people in them.”
Suad Merchant, Chief Marketing Officer, GEMS EDUCATION: “When I think about women and leadership, my mind often goes to my grandmother’s generation. They did not sit on corporate boards or lead organisations, but they led households, raised families, preserved traditions, and navigated complex social dynamics with quiet strength and authority. I see that same strength in my mother. She navigated family business dynamics, managed finances, and carried responsibility with resilience… Her leadership was never defined by a title, but by the strength with which she held everything together. Today, the conversation around women and leadership is often framed as a comparison, whether women can perform head-to-head or stand alongside men in the same arenas. But perhaps that framing itself is part of the stigma that still remains. Leadership should not be about proving equivalence. It should be about recognising capability in its own right.”
Noor Salman, Vice President, Cargo Business Support, dnata: “Being an ambassador for other women is not glamorous. It is the quiet labour of making introductions, sharing credit, speaking up when she is not in the room, and stepping back so she can step forward. It is knowing that your legacy will not be measured by the titles you collected; rather, it will be measured by the women who collect titles because you cleared the path.”
Dr Royal Khosana, Business consultant, executive advisor, and CEO of Royance Services: “You do not always know who is watching. The way you handle that difficult meeting, the grace with which you disagree, the dignity in your silence — someone is filing it away as proof that it can be done. Being a role model is not about performing leadership. It is about leading so authentically that you become a quiet permission slip for every woman watching from the wings.”
Lajitha Abdul Majeed Said, Head of Human Resources, Burns and Wilcox Insurance Brokers LLC: “The most powerful women in governance aren’t the ones who simply arrive. They are the ones who look back, see the gap, and quietly build a bridge. But here is the secret: they build it with a network — a sisterhood of women who hand them materials, hold the ropes, and then cross behind them, ready to build the next bridge… That is legacy.”
