haifa fahoum al kaylani - aiwf biography of haifa fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human...

6
1 Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani Founder & Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum Commissioner, ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow 2017 Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Founder & Chairman of the Arab International Women’s Forum, is well known in international government, business and non-governmental organisation circles as a high-impact change agent focusing on women’s leadership, youth empowerment and working for progress, inclusion, peace and security in the Arab region within a global context. Mrs Al Kaylani is a development economist, an alumna of the American University of Beirut and Oxford University, a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative 2017, and a Commissioner of the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work. Haifa Al Kaylani brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding and sustainable economic growth and reform, supporting a strong role for women and young leaders at the heart of that process. In 2019, Haifa Al Kaylani celebrates 35 years of voluntary and public service as a champion for women as change makers and building bridges between the Arab world and the international community. She has successfully led numerous initiatives and having been involved in a wide variety of charities, cultural institutions, NGOs and the private sector in the UK, the US, and the Arab world. She commands wide international exposure in government and business circles, including high level contacts in the United Kingdom, Middle East, Europe, India and North & South America. Haifa Al Kaylani has chaired and addressed major conferences on development, diversity, leadership and cross-cultural dialogue in over 40 countries, as a convener of global leaders in all sectors to work together for the common good. She founded AIWF in London in 2001 as a development organisation committed to supporting women’s leadership in social and economic growth in the MENA region and internationally and to create equality of opportunity for all. Fluent in five languages, she is widely travelled in more than 60 countries. Mrs Al Kaylani was appointed as the only Commissioner from the Arab world to the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work in August 2017, and served on The Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She was also the first Honorary Member of the Euro Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development (2012). She became a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative in 2017, spending year in Cambridge, MA to undertake the intensive year-long Fellowship at Harvard as one of 46 global leaders selected for an intensive, multi- disciplinary program and yearlong Fellowship to research and address significant social problems.

Upload: others

Post on 26-Jul-2020

5 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

1

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani Founder & Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum Commissioner, ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow 2017

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Founder & Chairman of the Arab International Women’s Forum, is well known in international government, business and non-governmental organisation circles as a high-impact change agent focusing on women’s leadership, youth empowerment and working for progress, inclusion, peace and security in the Arab region within a global context. Mrs Al Kaylani is a development economist, an alumna of the American University of Beirut and Oxford University, a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative 2017, and a Commissioner of the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work. Haifa Al Kaylani brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding and sustainable economic growth and reform, supporting a strong role for women and young leaders at the heart of that process. In 2019, Haifa Al Kaylani celebrates 35 years of voluntary and public service as a champion for women as change makers and building bridges between the Arab world and the international community. She has successfully led numerous initiatives and having been involved in a wide variety of charities, cultural institutions, NGOs and the private sector in the UK, the US, and the Arab world. She commands wide international exposure in government and business circles, including high level contacts in the United Kingdom, Middle East, Europe, India and North & South America. Haifa Al Kaylani has chaired and addressed major conferences on development, diversity, leadership and cross-cultural dialogue in over 40 countries, as a convener of global leaders in all sectors to work together for the common good. She founded AIWF in London in 2001 as a development organisation committed to supporting women’s leadership in social and economic growth in the MENA region and internationally and to create equality of opportunity for all. Fluent in five languages, she is widely travelled in more than 60 countries. Mrs Al Kaylani was appointed as the only Commissioner from the Arab world to the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work in August 2017, and served on The Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She was also the first Honorary Member of the Euro Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development (2012). She became a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative in 2017, spending year in Cambridge, MA to undertake the intensive year-long Fellowship at Harvard as one of 46 global leaders selected for an intensive, multi-disciplinary program and yearlong Fellowship to research and address significant social problems.

Page 2: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

2

In addition to her leadership of AIWF, Mrs Al Kaylani holds senior roles in several cultural, educational, non-governmental UK, MENA and international organisations. She is a Board Member of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce in London, the East-West Institute in New York, and the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy School, United States. She is an Advisory Board Member for the London Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and an Advisory Board Member of the Global Thinkers Forum. She is also a former Advisory Board Member of the Imperial College Business School.

International Awards & Recognition Haifa Al Kaylani has received recognition as one of the Women eNews 21 Leaders for the 21 Century (2006); was included in the Muslim Power 100 Leaders in the UK listing (2007) receiving the Education Excellence Award; she is a recipient of the International Alliance for Women 2008 World of Difference Lifetime Achievement Award; was named one of the 20 leading Muslim women in the UK in The Equality & Human Rights Commission Muslim Women Lists 2009-2012, and received the United Kingdom Muslim Woman of the Year Award in 2013. Haifa Al Kaylani was presented with an Award for an Outstanding Contribution as a Women Leader of Palestinian Origin and was honoured by the Qatari Businesswomen Association and presented with an Award for her contributions to the growth and development in the Arab region. She was the recipient of the Global Inspirational Leadership Award 2013 and was honoured for individual achievements as a role model and having made contributions worthy of acknowledgement towards the role of women in Emerging Economies by the Georgia General Assembly. Mrs Al Kaylani was included in the Power 100 List, compiled by Arabian Business Monitor and recognised on the Arabian Business Power 500 List published by Arabian Business Magazine and placed in the highest ever recording of 118 women in a list of Arab men and women leaders. Mrs Al Kaylani was inducted in 2013 by the Centre of Economic Leadership & Development into The Global Women Leaders Hall of Fame as a distinguished achiever and symbol of female achievement globally. Mrs Al Kaylani received The Excellence in Life Award presented by The Global Thinkers Forum in Dubai December 2014. In 2015, Mrs Kaylani, received The Pearl Initiative Recognition for a Career Focused on Arab Women in Leadership, presented by the Pearl Initiative Honorary Chairman HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development in the United Arab Emirates on the occasion of The Pearl Initiative & United Nations Global Compact Forum held in Dubai. In October 2015, Mrs Kaylani was presented with The Honorary Global Exemplary Award for Leadership Development 2015 at the European Women Inventors & Innovators Network (EU-WIIN) International Conference & Awards Ceremony held at The British Library in London. This award was given in acknowledgment of her international achievements in promoting cultural and gender equality around the world and her extraordinary contribution to economic growth and to society. In May 2016, Mrs Al Kaylani received an award presented

Page 3: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

3

by the Jordanian Embassy in London on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Independence of Jordan in recognition of her lifetime work and service to Jordan-UK relations. In January 2017, Haifa Al Kaylani became a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University as one of 46 global leaders selected for an intensive, multi-disciplinary program and yearlong Fellowship to research and address significant social problems, undertaking the Fellowship through 2017 to carry forward on a global level the mission to which she has devoted over three decades of her life – the empowerment and advancement of Arab women and youth through job creation, entrepreneurship, education and economic empowerment, in the MENA region and internationally. She was featured in Forbes Middle East’s LeaderBoard: Standing Out list of High Achievers in July 2017, recognised for her leadership of AIWF and her commitment as Founder Chairman to encouraging cultural exchange and understanding between communities and promoting gender equality around the world. In February 2018, Haifa Al Kaylani was included in the UK Muslim 100 Parliamentary Review and in March, she was honoured by the American University of Beirut and named amongst the leading women alumni recognised and featured in the book For All Conditions of Men: Stories of Women at AUB. In November 2018, Haifa Al Kaylani was the honoured recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Golden Shield Award presented by the Arab Women Council in Cairo, Egypt, for her exceptional efforts to enable and advance women and youth through education and economic opportunities in the MENA region and beyond.

AIWF’s Founding in London in 2001

Mrs Al Kaylani is a dual British and Lebanese citizen of Palestinian origin, Jordanian by marriage and a UK Resident since 1976. She speaks English, Arabic, French, Spanish and Italian. She attended the Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and the British Lebanese School for Girls in Beirut. She achieved a BA in Economics at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1966, later returning to AUB to earn a Masters in Economic Development in 1971 after preparing for a Diploma in the same subject at Oxford University in 1967. After completing her education, she went on to work as a junior economist for the United Nations for two years. Al Kaylani married the late HE Ambassador Wajih S Al Kaylani in 1970. For over forty years she assisted her husband in his diplomatic postings and official engagements including those as Jordanian Ambassador to India, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. They moved to the United Kingdom permanently in 1976 whilst maintaining close ties in Jordan and Lebanon. Having spent her early years in a number of voluntary Board roles and supporting numerous charitable organisations, as well as two years with the United Nations as a junior economist, Mrs Al Kaylani founded AIWF in London in 2001 as a non-profit, non-government and apolitical development organisation for women and young leaders in the UK, the MENA region and internationally.

Page 4: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

4

AIWF in Action: High-Level Advocacy and Activities Since its inception in London in 2001, AIWF has created an unrivalled forum and a powerbase of strong advocacy for women leaders in the MENA region promoting their role as engines of economic and social growth, with education, entrepreneurship and gender parity as our priority areas for action. In all its UK, Arab and global programmes, the UK is the headquarters of AIWF and at the heart of all its operations and partnerships, and AIWF is exceptionally proud to work at the heart of the Arab world and internationally from its base in London bringing partners in all spheres together to build bridges and facilitate business links, cross-border collaboration and experience exchange to build the capacity of Arab women at every level and in every sector whilst addressing critical development challenges for women and young people in the region beyond. Under the guiding principle of Building Bridges, Building Business and as AIWF enters its 18th year in 2019, AIWF continues to champion British and international business links with the Arab world bringing the public and private sectors, civil society, media and academia together to produce informed, action-driven recommendations and initiatives that have directly and positively impacted women and youth across the Arab world. AIWF, as an NGO Member of the UN Global Compact, is focussed on integrating the SDGs and other key global development goals into the programming of its conferences, reports, initiatives and activities. AIWF has held many conferences over the past eighteen years in London and is proud to have worked closely with leading UK partners including the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In partnership with the FCO, AIWF produced two landmark Reports and Recommendations in 2005 and 2007 on Women as Engines of Economic Growth in the Arab World, which set a benchmark for capacity building and training, economic competitiveness, sustainable human development and advancing women’s economic participation in the MENA region. From its base in London AIWF has also worked closely with the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations and agencies, the World Bank, and the MENA-OECD Investment Programme, the City of London Corporation, the International Bar Association, and the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. To give just three most recent examples: in December 2017, AIWF partnered with the Royal Academy of Engineering to deliver a milestone conference on Women-Led Innovation in STEM with the support of the World Bank, PepsiCo and PwC. In September 2018, AIWF partnered with the World Bank’s Center for Mediterranean Integration to hold a major conference on Women, Water & Youth in Amman, Jordan addressing critical sustainability and development challenges for the Arab world. And in April 2019, building on its commitment to empowering women’s leadership in STEM, AIWF will hold a high-level conference on Women Leaders & Health at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in partnership between the Arab International Women’s Forum, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the American University of Beirut.

Page 5: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

5

Supporting sustainable agriculture and job creation in the rural economy A key outcome from Mrs Al Kaylani’s year at Harvard is a sustainability enterprise project, Haseel, which she has launched in pilot phase in Jordan as an innovative solution to key economic, food and water security challenges in the Arab world. The project will deliver an innovative model for sustainable development through agriculture across the MENA region, and will introduce modern 21st century technology and innovation to the agricultural sector, aiming to enhance food security, alleviate poverty, support the rural economy, conserve scarce water resources, and create viable jobs for local communities for men and women, including refugees. As a social enterprise, Haseel aims to establish a farm of one hectare in the Jordan Valley area producing high yield fruits and vegetables and opening new markets for export. It will provide jobs for youth in sustainable entrepreneurship and technology-based agricultural enterprises, create economic opportunities, and importantly it will foster equilibrium between rural and urban communities which is vital for social cohesion and stability. The project will use both new technologies such as Hydroponics and vertical agriculture as well as traditional agriculture methods. The project in Jordan is meant to be scaled-up and replicated across the wider MENA region in the years to come. Importantly the project can inspire others to replicate the initiative in other parts of the MENA region, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and providing viable solutions to the Arab world’s food and water security challenges. The project has already gained valuable support in Jordan from the Ministries of Water, Agriculture and Social Development, as well as local farming communities and multinationals such as PwC and PepsiCo, already deeply involved in agribusiness in the region. Mrs Al Kaylani has secured World Bank funding in the form of a grant to implement and scale the project in the MENA region, and has successfully brought the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the League of Arab States together in their support of this pathbreaking initiative for sustainable agriculture in the MENA Region.

Charitable & Voluntary Service Haifa Al Kaylani was the President of the Federation of International Women’s Associations in London (FIWAL), an organisation of 30 women’s associations and clubs encompassing around 40,000 members, from 1997 – 2000, and a Board Member of FIWAL from 1990 – 2000. She was a Member of the Steering Committee of the Department of Trade and Industry UK, co-chairing two conferences in 1999 and 2000 to promote Arab-British business opportunities and women in business in the Arab world. Mrs Al Kaylani was the Chair of Welcome Clubs International Middle East, a worldwide network of international women’s organisations aimed at fostering friendship and understanding through education and training, in 2000 – 2003; the Chair of the UK Appeal of the Jordan Badia Research & Development Programme 1998 (Co-Patrons: HRH Prince El Hassan, and HRH the Duke of Kent), a joint initiative of the Royal Geographical Society and

Page 6: Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani - AIWF Biography of Haifa Fahoum … · competitiveness, sustainable human ... the League of Arab States, the Union for the Mediterranean, UN organisations

6

the Higher Council of Science & Technology in Jordan; Chair of the UK Appeal of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development 1994, chaired by HRH Princess Basma bint Talal, which helped to empower women in rural Jordan through small loans. A Co-Patron of the UK Appeal was the Duchess of Kent. Haifa Al Kaylani was a Member of the Board of Medical Aid for Iraqi Children (1995 – 2005), a UK registered charity supplying medicines from the UK to children in Iraq (with UN Sanctions Committee approval); and a Member of the Board of the Fund for Refugees in Slovenia (1994–Present), a UK charity to assist Bosnian refugees set up in 1992 by Lady Nott with Baroness Margaret Thatcher as Patron.

Other Philanthropic Activities

§ The Yehudi Menuhin School of Music, London (1996 - 1998) § Royal Academy of Art - Art of Africa Exhibition, London (1996) § English National Ballet (1990) § Philharmonic Orchestra Trust 50th Anniversary Appeal, London (1990) § Children with Special Needs in Egypt (1999 - 2000) § Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London (1985 & 1998) § Tommy’s Campaign (St Thomas’s Hospital) London (1994 - 1997) § Harefield Hospital, UK (1996) § St Mary’s Hospital Children’s Accident and Emergency Unit London (1997 - 1998) § British Red Cross London Branch (1995 - 1998) § London Heart and Chest Hospital (1992 - 1994)

Memberships § The Worshipful Livery Company of the World Traders, City of London, London (2004 -

Present) § The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London (1996 - Present) § The Institute of Directors, London (1996 - Present) § Welcome to London International Club (1995 - Present) § The Association of the Palestine Community in the United Kingdom (1995 - Present) § The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, London (1990 -

Present) § The Arab Club of Great Britain (1990 - Present) § The Arab Women’s Association London (1982 - Present) § The American University of Beirut Alumni Association, London (1980 - Present) § The British Lebanese Association, London (1980 - Present) § The Anglo Jordanian Society, London (1976 - Present) § Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, London § Ouissal, German-Arab Mentoring Project, initiated by Euro-Mediterranean Association

for Cooperation and Development.