Sajida H. Shroff, CEO, Altamont Group discusses The Global Landscape: International Women’s Issues & Girls’ Education as a Pathway to Global Women’s Empowerment at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Sajida H. Shroff, CEO, Altamont Group and Vice-President, Outreach, Harvard Global WE Board was invited to present at the inaugural Harvard Women’s Weekend. Sajida was asked to moderate and present on a panel regarding Global Women’s Issues. She was also asked to present on panel focused on Girls’ Education as a Pathway to Global Women’s Empowerment.
The Harvard Women’s Weekend commenced with a Reception hosted by the President of Harvard University, Drew Faust, and brought together over 400 alumni from all walks of life.
During the panel on International Women’s Issues, given Altamont Group’s focus on education innovation and smart education cities in emerging economies, Sajida discussed Altamont Group’s success in supporting education access for all particularly girls and women.
She emphasized that in the MENA region, women actually have greater opportunities; e.g. in societies such as Qatar and the UAE, women have prospects for education, professional progress, entrepreneurship, etc. “In fact – more women pursue higher education than men & I think we have more female CEOs,” she stated.
Sajida also highlighted the opportunities presented to young women through Altamont Group’s innovative concept regarding the education ecosystem which fosters integrated, industry aligned and workforce specific knowledge development through a cohesive approach that intertwines education, governance, industry, infrastructure, and technology.
The 2nd panel was organized by Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment and engaged key leaders in a discussion of the factors that prevent girls from going to school; and how education is linked to a variety of opportunities for women, including improved health, economic empowerment, and political rights. During this session, Sajida spoke about the innovative work Altamont Group is doing to improve the culture of literacy in the UAE as well as the incredible focus of the UAE and other regional governments, on youth development and engagement, with a particular emphasis on supporting girls to transform traditional paradigms.
In both her presentations, she emphasized that access to quality education is critical to equalize the playing field. “Systemic and cultural change starts with awareness of the gaps and the opportunities; there is inherent opportunity for economic and social enhancement when education is seamlessly woven into the fabric of life so that smart education cities enable access across socio-economic levels,” Sajida insisted.
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