Dr. Sonia Ben M’Rad has made significant contributions to the promotion of women’s leadership and empowerment, both in Tunisia and globally. Her career path is impressive. She is a renowned Tunisian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Femmes Leaders Mondiale (FLM) which is a global organization promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. She has served as an international speaker, coach, executive coach, and trainer at Harvard Business School. Additionally, she is the co-founder of the Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF), an advisor to the Tunisian Ministry of Women, family, and Children, and an author. She has received numerous awards including the Women Leadership Award from the World Women Leadership Congress, the African Women in Leadership Award, and the Arab Woman Award for Business Leadership, and was featured on the Forbes Middle East list of the 100 most powerful Arab businesswomen. These awards highlight Dr. Sonia Ben M’Rad’s impact and leadership in promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality in Tunisia and the Arab world.
We got the opportunity to learn more about her work, the challenges women face in the region, and the unique strategies she deployed to get to where she is today.
What inspired you to pursue a career in business, and how did you get started?
I think Entrepreneurship is a character and an attitude. Since my early years in Secondary School and then in University, I always tried to create personal initiatives and lead projects. I started my education in the Business Field in France. During my Doctoral Studies in Marketing in 1998, I was invited by a very famous French Researcher in Marketing, to be part of a Consulting Project for a multinational company. It was very impressive and very enriching for me. Some years after, when I returned to Tunisia, and after my Ph.D. Studies, I co-founded a company of Studies and Consulting.
What role do you see education and training play in the development of the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs in Tunisia?
Leadership and entrepreneurship need self-confidence, mental courage, a high sense of responsibility, and the capacity to manage others’ energies, work, and attitudes. The role of education is very important in building the Leaders and Entrepreneurs of tomorrow. I think we must be very careful to train the students from primary school to the university, to make the skills of entrepreneurship and leadership emerge. Some young people naturally have these skills, but for others, we can encourage and even implement these skills.
How should women address gender-specific issues and challenges that arise in their work environment and what would your advice be to ensure their voices and needs are heard and addressed?
The best manner is first to have the courage to refuse any inequity in the work environment. We need to be careful of all details. Dignity and respect are the key words in the work field in general, but they are more important when we speak about women. Also, women should consider that if a system is not adapted to their specific needs, this means that the system is wrong, based on inequity and it must change. The women’s specificities must be taken into account, it’s not a gift, it’s a right.
What role do you see technology and social media playing in advancing the cause of women’s rights, and how do you utilize these tools in your advocacy work?
Technology and social media are wonderful tools to communicate women’s leadership and women’s success! I see in my associative work that the names and efforts of successful women are more prevalent nowadays compared to several years ago. It’s a good point but it’s largely insufficient. Women must use technology to build solid networks for themselves. I observe that generally, women don’t want to put themselves in front and speak about their successes and their ambitions. Tech and social media are wonderful platforms to shine a light on important problems for their sectors, companies, and competitors.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing Tunisian businesses today, and how can they be addressed? What do you see as the future of business in Tunisia, and how do you see yourself and your company contributing to that future?
Tunisian Companies are naturally oriented to Export. Our local market is very limited, and for a very long time, our work is based on how to make companies more performant to have the biggest parts of Export Markets. Tunisian businessmen and women are very ambitious and courageous. Now we need more collective approaches to be more efficient. Some experiences of Consortiums were tried but with insufficient results. I think we can do much more, and I believe very strongly in collective approaches among sectors or export markets. Personally, in my Association and Business Activities, I always try to build networks and to make complementary companies or competencies work together.
Today you are known and respected as a global leader in the fight for women’s rights. How did you first get involved in this work?
I integrated the Board of the Tunisian National Chamber of BusinessWomen in 2008. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to make businesswomen more visible, more successful, and more in contact with the world. I admire all these women that worked very hard and were full of ambition and passion for their sectors. I worked with several brilliant female leaders and entrepreneurs in Tunisia and around the World, and all these contacts make me sure that these amazing women deserve all the respect and recognition.
What advice do you have for other women who are interested in becoming global leaders in the fight for gender equality, and what skills and qualities do you think are most important for success in this field?
We need the engagement of all active women! Engagement in Women’s Rights and Development is very important. Sometimes we think it’s sufficient, but no, it’s never sufficient! Tunisian women have had wonderful rights since 1956, but we have to struggle to maintain them and to go forward. All over the world, successful women like Bchira Ben M’Rad, Gisèle Halimi, and Christine Lagarde said to never abandon the struggle for gender equality! The only skill needed is sincere ambition and respect for women.
How do you feel about your many successes throughout your career and how do you have time for all the activities that you are involved in?
I feel that I have so much to do in the future. I have a lot of new projects in my head, for me, for my family, and for my country. On the associative side, I dream to contribute to the maximum visibility, recognition, and success of Tunisian Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs. I want all the world to know how wonderful they are! I always try to make things complimentary! If the things you do are interesting and the people you work with are talented and enriching, you can be sure that with some effort, all this can be integrated. I don’t separate my family time from my work time and my associative time. I try to make all these persons, as possible as I can, know each other and enrich each other. I have a global Life!
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career, and how have they shaped your approach to business?
I have lots of respect for businessmen and businesswomen. They risk their money, their health, and their family time, to create jobs for others and create richness. Every entrepreneur can write an entire book about sacrifice, passion, challenges, fears, hopes, deceptions, and happiness. I love the “Entrepreneur Spirit”, it’s the fuel of a country. Is there a lesson? Maybe one. In the high turbulence of an entrepreneur’s life, it’s important to have a priority, not to be lost. For me, my priority always was and will be “My Family”.
Finally, could you tell us about any upcoming projects or plans that you’re excited about and that our readers should know about?
I want to create an Investment Fund for Arab Luxury Handicrafts. I will soon begin to work on it Inshallah. I think the occidental luxury brands need new ideas. Our Arab countries are full of a luxurious art of living which is different, very spiritual, rich, and full of style. I would like to work on it in a global manner and offer the world a new luxury model inspired by our very rich Arab culture.
Text by Suna Ahmed
