Oil Review Middle East cited remarks by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, president of AGSIW, at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference in November 2017: “When it comes to glass ceilings, I understand that there’s none tougher to crack than the one that women face in the oil and gas industry.”

Commenting on women in STEM fields, Wahba noted, “While the number of women enrolling in the science and technology programmes at university level is very high, the number of women entering the STEM workforce is not accelerating at the same pace.” She continued, “Some social stigmas and stereotyped gender roles persist, and those jobs are often viewed as more demanding or more dangerous. That’s true not only in the UAE, it’s also true in other countries, in Europe and in the United States.”

Wahba also discussed women in the United Arab Emirates: “The UAE leadership has for decades championed women’s issues from education to employment, and everything in between,” continuing, “The progress is very visible, and also quite unique, not only for this part of the world, but globally. I believe the role of women in the UAE demonstrates the progressive vision of this society and its leaders.”