The inclusion of three Arab women on the Forbes 2010 Most Powerful Women list is a significant development that offers ample evidence that nations of the region are taking the advancement of women in their societies as a serious challenge. Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; Sheikha Moza Al-Misnad, the wife of the Emir of Qatar; and Maha Al-Ghanim, the vice chairman and the managing director of Kuwait's Global Investment House form just the tip of an iceberg that sees women around the region, including in Saudi Arabia, engaging wisely and successfully in business. The publicity afforded by the Forbes list should make significant headway in worldwide public opinion regarding the state of women in the Middle East. Nevertheless, such highfalutin accolades should not blur that general picture of the common woman living in the Middle East. Yes, money talks, and a woman with business acumen has doors open to her (even though she may have to struggle to open others) to put that money to good use. There are still pockets of society where working for a female is equated with some misplaced sense of emasculation. Some women in Saudi Arabia start businesses with the intent of employing females only in order to avoid any gender friction. While we can point to numerous successes enjoyed by women in the region who engage in large-scale business and other activities, we should not lose focus on those women who do not live in such socio-economic spheres but deserve the opportunity to work a job with a decent wage. The self-sustainability of any society depends on its members contributing to the best of their abilities, and we have long squandered many of the contributions women are capable of making outside the realm of the household. We should rightfully celebrate the inclusion of the Arab women on the Forbes list. But it is just one battle won. There are many more to fight. __
