Dr. Layla Alhalwachi
Panelist, Assistant Professor, Bahrain Polytechnic, Bahrain
Dr. Layla Faisal is the first Bahraini PhD holder in Gender and Management Studies and she has a Master Degree in Business Administration specialist in Human Resources Management: Gender Mainstreaming. She worked in Supreme Council for Women on National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women “Partnership … Competitiveness … Sustainability … Stability”. She is also a well-known author in a number of social management areas. She is a tutor in the Business School at Bahrain Polytechnic leading the Research Committee and Coordinating Management Courses in different levels.
In addition, she worked with NQF – BQA as a Validation Panel Member and part of the team for moderation and verification for courses at multiple Higher Education Institutions. She is a Fellow member in the Higher Education Academy UK and has a different experience in teaching and research. She is a member in MENAPAR Think Tank Network (TTN) team with the United Nation. Also, she worked in Japanese Embassy for different years as educational fellow.
Her PhD research has critically explores women’s underrepresentation in upper management levels in non-western countries and in particular in the context of Bahrain, her study attempts to uncover the multitude barriers from different aspects that impede women’s advancement in this diversify region and examined the effectiveness of possible alternative practical coping mechanisms to improve women’s presence at senior management level and the boardroom by investigating the fundamental causes and effects of the glass ceiling phenomenon. “I believe that my MBA blended with my Bachelor degree in English Literature / minor in Women’s history and allowed me to explore different ways of feminism facets intersecting with literature, and sociality with business and management aspects, my research paired very organically with the Gender and Management Studies on Brunel’s program truly helped me to round out my understandings of feminism from various religions and ancient philosophy to the world’s culture”.
She worked on National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women “Partnership … Competitiveness … Sustainability … Stability” (2013 – 2022) from August 2007-August 2017.
She is Bahraini national, is a well-known author in a number of social science areas. Her area of expertise is sexism and gender discrimination in the Arab world. As one of a select group of women in this region, she has in the last 13 years undertaken empirical researched specifically in women’s discrimination and its effect on diversity of management personnel in the workplace.
Women are the catalyst for change in family, society and the workplace. Her research has critically explored women’s underrepresentation in upper management levels in non-western countries and in particular in the context of Bahrain, she attempted to uncover the multitude of barriers from different aspects that impede women’s advancement in this diversified region. She further examined the effectiveness of possible alternative practical coping mechanisms to improve women’s presence at senior management level and the boardroom by investigating the fundamental causes and effects of the glass ceiling phenomenon.
As an author and an advocate of women’s rights, she has built a portfolio of activities to widen awareness and participation of gender related issues in providing specialist training for empowerment of women. During these sessions women discussions and exercises are centered on knowledge, techniques and tools to develop skills and changes in attitudes and behaviour. Her work aims to tackle the lack of self-esteem, particularly with girls in the patriarchy societies who may have internalized the message that they are unworthy. She vision is to strengthen women and children, by building character and resilience thereby ensuring strong families and create a compassionate cultures.
She has been involved in societies which resolve disputes in the workplace. They try to find solutions which benefit the best interest of both the organisation and the employee.
In recent times, she has diversified these major issues concerning women needs and the protection, through the law and local environment, to other contextual platforms such as family, domestic violence, parenting, bullying and moral development.
Her aim is to see a society where everyone regardless of their “age, ethnicity, race, physical ability, physical characteristics, income, education, marital status, religious beliefs, geographic location, parental status, and personality type” is empowered. It’s a rather ambitious goal, but she is at present starting with women!