An Interview with Caroline Fattal-Fakhoury
Caroline Fattal-Fakhoury has been repeatedly recognized by the magazine Forbes Middle East as one of the “Most powerful Arab Women in Business”. She reached an Executive Committee position at Unilever and now serves as a Board Member of her family business, the Fattal Group. She combines more than 20 years of corporate business experience with the skills of a certified professional business coach. After living and working in France, Argentina and the UAE, she moved back to Lebanon with her husband and her four children. In 2016, she launched “Stand for Women”, a social enterprise advocating for women empowerment and gender equality in the Middle East.
1. In one sentence, who are you?
I am a Middle Eastern woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, businesswoman, feminist activist, executive coach and good friend, trying to make our MENA community a little more equitable.
2. Name one thing you are grateful for.
I am grateful for being in good health both physically and mentally.
3. You’ve been called a “Middle Eastern feminist”, how exactly would you define that?
A friend once called me a Middle Eastern feminist maybe because the word feminist has had at times a negative connotation and he wanted to differentiate my approach from this misconception. I personally believe that we should all be feminists, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book title rightly states, and if I am a feminist with an oriental touch of femininity and roundness, all the better!
4. Why did you choose to become an advocate for women in the workplace?
I have been blessed with a very fulfilling career, yet along the way I’ve realized that I was “the first woman” to be a sales director in the MENA region for the Unilever group, “the first woman” to reach the board of directors of our 120 years old family business, and “the first woman to…” in many other instances. I also came to realize that I was among the very few women board directors in the MENA region - women fill less than 4% of board seats - so this motivated me to want to help more women climb the corporate ladder and reach positions of power and decision-making. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s the smart thing to do. Indeed, many studies have shown that businesses that include women get better results.
5. According to you, what are the main challenges facing women in the Arab world today?
The challenges are many and unfortunately quite similar to the ones facing women in other parts of the world: violence against women and girls, child marriage, lack of political representation, lack of economic empowerment, a patriarcal society and an unfair legislation - to name a few. The situation is still quite dramatic in terms of equal rights. This harsh inequality drove me to found “Stand for women” (@istandforwomen), a social enterprise advocating for the economic empowerment of women in the MENA region. As Bill and Melinda Gates recently said, “No matter where you are born, life will be harder if you are born a girl”. We cannot wait anymore for things to change organically! Each one of us can be an agent of change in his or her own community.
“The Arab world is so widely misunderstood because of prevailing stereotypes (war, unrest, terrorism, etc) and the lack of positive communication about the wonderful people of our region and its beautiful places and initiatives.”
6. What’s in your opinion the most important thing women should do to stay physically and mentally healthy?
Each one of us can find his or her unique recipe to stay physically and mentally healthy. It took me quite a while to find it for myself. It is only recently that I chose dancing as one of the physical exercises that I practice regularly, one I love and enjoy. It’s a must to release stress and to have some fun at the same time. Good eating and sleeping habits are a plus to keep stamina and energy going. As for mental health, it is key to honor our feelings, our boundaries, our time, our space and our wants and needs. It’s a lifetime journey to learn to respect yourself and to stand up for yourself.
7. In hard times, what keeps you going?
The love of my precious ones is what keeps me going.
8. Which question would you like to be asked about your work? Please answer it.
Is what you do with “Stand for Women” really needed? Yes, it is needed as unfortunately inequalities still persist in all parts of the Arab world, awareness is still low about the challenges women face in our societies and actions are too scarce and scattered.
9. Why do you think the Arab world is so widely misunderstood? What can we do to change that?
The Arab world is so widely misunderstood because of prevailing stereotypes (war, unrest, terrorism, etc) and the lack of positive communication about the wonderful people of our region and its beautiful places and initiatives. Thankfully some initiatives like yours and the one of Takreem or the recent roadshow of the LIFE association are trying to break those stereotypes by showing the real face of the Middle East today: multi-faceted and multi-talented.
10. How would you like the Arab civilization to continue to influence the rest of the world?
The Arab civilization could be a message to the world: a message of coexistence, of talent, of innovation, of tolerance and of resilience.
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