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In the Classroom I

An Eye Opener: Middle Eastern Businesswomen Come to Wharton to Learn — and to Educate

For Amani Zaid, a 26-year-old professional from Yemen, her 6 months studying at the Wharton School and working in the United States has been an eye opener. This is not so much because of differences in culture but because Zaid — who earned her degree in computer science at the University of Jordan — had the opportunity to explore the field of marketing. She studied with faculty from Wharton's world-class marketing department and worked in a marketing internship at Sunoco.

"I wanted to learn more about marketing strategy, and the U.S. is much more advanced in that field," she said. She hopes to do more marketing work when she returns to her job in logistics at Canadian Nexen, an oil company in Yemen. In her spare time, she is also starting a real estate magazine in Yemen with two colleagues — and her marketing experience should be an asset in that endeavor.

Many More Opportunities

Times are changing for women in the Middle East, as in other parts of the world. "Twenty years ago, a woman could not have traveled abroad with the same acceptance I am experiencing now," Zaid said. "I have many more opportunities. When it comes to women in my region, it is not as bad as people think it is. Because we cover our heads, people think we are very repressed, but it is not like we are forbidden to do what we want."

While Zaid found that it was not difficult for professional women to find jobs in Yemen, they are under more scrutiny and often have a harder time moving ahead. "The challenge we deal with on a daily basis is to prove that we deserve to be where we are. As a woman, you have to do a lot of extra work to prove you are qualified." While the challenges might be similar to those in the United States, American women in business are decades ahead in addressing them.

"The bigger problems facing both women and men, however, are challenges such as poverty and illiteracy," she said. Some 60 percent of women in Yemen are illiterate, "and it is not much better for men."

A Groundbreaking Program

Zaid was one of 37 businesswomen and lawyers from the Middle East and North Africa who came to Philadelphia in March and April for a month-long program at Wharton or the University of Pennsylvania Law School, followed by 5-month internships with Fortune 500 companies or U.S. law firms. The Legal and Business Fellowship Program (LBFP), funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. Department of State, was developed in collaboration with the National Council for International Visitors and America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST).

The highly competitive program is open to women from 16 countries and territories: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. This session ended in late August with a ceremony and reception at the Department of State in Washington, DC. Wharton and Penn Law have already been awarded the program for a second year, with a new class arriving on campus in April 2008.

"The Middle East Partnership Initiative supports the aspirations of people in the region seeking greater freedom and opportunity," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Carpenter. "This impressive group of women embodies these aspirations, and we are happy to stand with them as they develop new business and legal skills to help their communities flourish."

A Wonderful Learning Experience

While the experience was eye opening for the women involved, it was also enlightening to the faculty and others who met with this remarkable group of women. "We had an overwhelming response from the Penn community," said Sandhya Karpe, senior director of executive education at Wharton. "The women in the program were so engaging, outgoing, and articulate. It was a wonderful learning experience for us as well. All of us are much richer for their having been here."

Faculty from Wharton and the Penn Law School invited the group to visit their homes, and Penn President Amy Gutmann met with the women. "The LBFP is intended to provide talented young women working in business and law with opportunities to learn management, business and legal skills while working in business and legal environments in the U.S.," Gutmann said before their arrival. "As home to both an eminent law school and business school, Penn is uniquely situated to host these women for the educational portion of their program."

The interaction with this diverse and talented group of women was very rewarding for everyone involved. "We found the whole concept so fascinating," said Karpe, "and it went exceedingly well. We were pleased to make a contribution to the cause of women in this region."