Selection of leaders across the world must be solely based on merit, says Alia Al Farsi, artist, founder, Alia Gallery. “With more women getting access to education I think we will see more representation of women in various sectors,” she said, adding however, “we have to understand that in order to achieve our goals as a nation, men and women should work as partners, not as competitors”.
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Women across the world in companies often get into a ‘gender double bind’ – when they are aggressive in their work, they are ‘insensitive’; when they exercise empathy, they are ‘indecisive’. Does it bother you?
The work environment and regulations in Oman are very welcoming and inclusive as women are seen as equal partners to men. We see qualified women holding senior positions in both public and private entities and we need to celebrate that and acknowledge the government’s efforts in pushing for equality of opportunities.
The global pandemic was a sphere in which women leaders showed their mettle. What is this essence of a woman that helps them dismantle the usual narrative and help them veer their companies from disaster to success and beyond?
As a gallery owner, the pandemic had an impact on our sales, and we had to take exceptional measures to run the business during such difficult times. Thankfully, the leadership in the gallery has successfully turned this challenge into an opportunity through digital transition and this helped us to better prepare ourselves to manage and market our art post pandemic. I saw COVID-19 as an opportunity rather than a disaster and made sure the team saw it the same way. This definitely helped us to focus on the future and stay positive and motivated.
Many qualities of women come to the fore in a crisis – how do they (or you) transpose this into the work ecosystem?
Being more understanding of the employees’ needs is an important quality that ensures that people are more satisfied with their careers and environment. This reflects directly on one’s productivity. I think women are more comprehensive and flexible in implementing newer methods of management that suit all sorts of personalities.
While you may argue that women are at present ruling the world, when will the time come when they will, without a doubt, rule the world?
As an entrepreneur I don’t see running a business or a state as a gender-based competition. The selection of leaders across the world must be solely based on merit, and with more women getting access to education I think we will see more representation of women in various sectors however, we have to understand that in order to achieve our goals as a nation, men and women should work as partners, not as competitors.
What are the fundamental characteristics that help a woman shine in the corporate world?
Women are known to be great communicators as well as carrying prominent networking skills. They have shown to possess competency at multitasking and have better understanding of the importance of emotional intelligence. Statistics show that women are more enduring and composed when dealing with challenging situations and adapting to changes.
About: Alia Al Farsi
Alia Al Farsi holds an ineffable belief in the need to explore inner beauty and to help project it to discerning viewers. She has held solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Seoul, Paris and Brussels and exhibited with similar-minded artists in Stockholm, Berlin, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, and Geneva amongst many exhibitions over the past 20 years and in over 20 countries.
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