18th Global Women In Leadership Forum In Dubai To Focus On Gender Parity In Business Endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Economy, the event will bring together up to 500 global business leaders (male and female), policy makers, female professionals and entrepreneurs.

A recent survey by global consulting firm Grant Thornton reveals that listed companies with male-only boards in the US, UK and India alone are missing out on potential profits of US$655 billion. Despite the business world recognizing the need for diversity, and despite concerted efforts to achieve gender parity in the workplace, there's no denying that a gap still exists. Organized by Naseba, the 18^th edition of Global Women in Leadership (WIL) Economic Forum, a networking and knowledge platform to be held on October 24 - 25, 2016 in Dubai, aims to analyze ways to fill this gap. With focus areas of "storytelling, future-building, and game changers," the agenda of this year's WIL Forum is designed to facilitate discussions on diversity, experiences of successful women in business, and promote networking, among other objectives.

Endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Economy, the event will bring together up to 500 global business leaders (women and men), policy makers, female professionals and entrepreneurs. The keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and other sessions will focus on highlighting success stories of women leaders, and best practices from organizations taking the lead on diversity. The Forum will also host the WIL Achievement Awards, presented by H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy in UAE, which recognize individuals, organizations, and initiatives associated with women in business. Global leaders such as Ketevan Bochorishvili, Vice Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and Barbara J. Krumsiek, CEO and Chair, Calvert Investments, and others will share their insights at the gathering. Partnered allies for the conference are AstraZeneca, Merck, Roche Diagnostics, IE Business School, The Boston Consulting Group and EY, among others.

Related: Capitalizing On Untapped Human Capital: Women As Economic Growth Drivers