Dubai, United Arab Emirates, - Saturday, March 12th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
On Tuesday 8th March, International Women’s Day, over 100 guests from the PR industry in Dubai attended the launch of a brand new networking organisation – Women in PR MENA. This new group, a chapter of the recently establish Global Women in PR organisation, will provide an important channel for women working in the PR industry in the Middle East and North Africa.
The objective for WPR is to give senior women in the PR industry an opportunity to network face-to-face, share ideas and experiences and to help mentor the next generation of women to reach the top of their profession. It provides an opportunity to discuss the issues and the challenges facing individuals and indeed the PR industry itself whilst also campaigning on issues directly affecting women – from the gender pay gap to the shape of the boardroom.
Commenting on the launch of the new group Co-Founders of GWPR Sue Hardwick and Angela Oakes said “we were delighted when Felice Hurst from Hanson Search Dubai agreed to drive forward the creation of a WPR group in the MENA region. She has already gathered together a very strong team of leading PR Women to form her first committee and we have no doubt that this new group will become a significant and powerful networking group in the region.”
Commenting on the launch Felice Hurst, from Hanson Search, said “the launch is very timely for the region as the representation of women in society, the economy and the workforce continues to be a hot topic. Last year, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, his Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the formation of a ‘Gender Balance Council’ which aims to enhance women’s roles in building the future of the nation.
There are many issues that have come to light regarding women in the PR industry in recent years, the most startling being the under representation of women in leadership roles, despite the fact that 67% of the industry is composed of females. By launching WPR MENA, I believe we will be better able to address the challenges facing women in the industry in the Middle East, as well as better supporting our clients and industry partners by providing access to these professional bodies. In addition to highlighting the gender imbalance at the top of the PR world, our aim is to also help mentor the next generation of female PR practitioners as they progress through their careers.”
The launch event for WPR MENA was held in conjunction with the launch of PRCA MENA at Q43 in the Media One Hotel, Dubai.
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Notes to editors:
Global Women in PR is a new international association, linking independent networking groups of senior women working in PR, and is a sector group of ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation). www.globalwpr.com
About PRCA
Who we are: Founded in 1969, the PRCA is a UK-based PR membership body, operating in 45 countries around the world. We represent in excess of 20,000 people across the whole range of the PR industry. The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and internal communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations.
What we do: The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.
How we do it and make a difference: All PRCA members are bound by a professional charter and codes of conduct, and benefit from exceptional training.
The Association also works for the greater benefit of the industry, sharing best practice and lobbying on the industry's behalf e.g. fighting the NLA's digital licence.
Who we represent: The PRCA currently has more than 350 agency members; over 250 in-house communications teams from multinationals, charities and leading public sector organisations; and thousands of individual members.
www.prca.org.uk
About ICCO
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in 32 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com
Women in PR originated in the UK as a specialist support network for female PR professionals to meet up, share best practices, and inspire women to reach their full potential.
www.womeninpr.org.uk
Hanson Search, the leading recruitment and search consultancy, promotes greater diversity in the PR industry and is actively involved in supporting women in the work place internationally. Part of what distinguishes Hanson Search from other recruitment and search consultancies is their ability to align with specialist, industry-savvy individuals to ensure that they can identify the best talent in the field.
www.hansonsearch.com
Contacts
GWPR
Susan Hardwick, Co-founder, (+44)7710 260743
sue@globalwpr.com
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