When people ask what I love most about the UAE, my answer is always the same: the diversity and the career opportunities.
With over 200 nationalities calling it home, the UAE stands as one of the most diverse nations in the world. It’s also where I’ve had the chance to work on projects that would have been beyond my wildest dreams in the UK.
Yet, as a woman of colour in a leadership role, I’ve faced challenges that reveal the harsh reality of unconscious bias—those subtle, sometimes blatant, microaggressions that remind me not everyone is comfortable with my position.
There has been incredible progress around gender equality both in the UAE and globally, but intersectionality in the workplace still has a long way to go.
As someone who values equality deeply, these experiences have been not just frustrating, but emotionally draining. I vividly remember a time when an older white male colleague offered constructive feedback to a former team member without question, but when I did the same, it was dismissed and followed by negative comments about me personally.
Recently, I asked my BAME team members to share their experiences of unconscious bias for a panel I was participating in. Their stories were heartbreaking. One team member was asked, “Where did you learn to speak English so well?” Another felt her ethnicity constantly undermined her authority as an Account Director, believing that a white British counterpart with less experience would have been more readily accepted.
One woman described the exhausting expectation for women of colour to constantly ‘prove’ themselves. Hearing from a team member who felt invisible during client meetings was particularly painful. These stories resonate with my own, making them all the harder to hear.
These occurrences often stem from unconscious bias—prejudices we may not even realise we hold. Bias that influences our attitudes and actions, without us fully engaging with these thoughts.
To cope, I’ve had to reframe these challenges as opportunities for growth and understanding. Whether you’re just entering the workforce or have years of experience, it’s essential to recognise that bias exists and can manifest in discouraging ways.
You may find yourself in a situation where colleagues don’t take you seriously because you don’t look like them, or a client only values your advice when it comes from an older white male. It’s a reality many of us face, but it doesn’t have to define us.
As difficult as these moments are, they offer opportunities—for reflection, for conversation, and for change.
Here are the lessons I’ve learned along the way:
- Lead with Empathy: Emphasise the beauty of diverse perspectives. Share stories that highlight how different backgrounds foster creativity and innovation.
- Encourage Open Conversations: Create a safe space to talk about bias. Be open and vulnerable with your own experiences. The more we share, the more we understand.
- Celebrate Every Voice: Make it a priority to recognise and celebrate everyone’s contributions. Recognition fosters a deep sense of belonging.
- Invest in Growth: Provide training on unconscious bias. Education is a powerful tool for transformation.
- Have Honest Conversations with Yourself: We all carry stereotypes—it’s part of being human. But real progress begins with self-awareness. As someone with a British passport and no children, I acknowledge my own privileges. We must be honest with ourselves to challenge our biases and lead fairly.
My coach and therapist, Tess Pereira, says, “the antidote to judgement is curiosity,” and when it comes to unconscious bias, I couldn’t agree more.
Embracing diversity is not just a checkbox; it enriches lives. Let’s work together, listen to each other’s experiences, and turn bias into opportunity, creating workplaces where everyone can thrive because of their differences, not in spite of them.