Dr Shima Barakat, Research & Teaching Fellow in Enterprise at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL), Cambridge Judge Business School, features in a Cambridge book The Meaning of Success and on the accompanying website at http://www.cam.ac.uk/women-at-cambridge, speaking about her career and philosophy of success. The book brings together the stories of women from across the University of Cambridge and examines what success means to them as they share the individual life journeys that have led them to Cambridge. In interviews with twenty-six women connected with the University, along with contributions from a hundred more, it makes a compelling case for a more inclusive definition of success.

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said: “By exploring these inspirational stories, this book reminds the reader that talent and excellence can be found across the University and in every walk of life. It provides an opportunity to reflect on how success is recognised and rewarded, giving us scope to redefine and extend the qualities and attributes we associate with being successful.”

In this podcast interview, Shima talks about her own experiences as a women engineer and academic as well as her research specifically into women in entrepreneurship. She cites the importance of encouraging women to be more enterprising and to overcome traditional challenges as a result of gender dynamics. Shima has direct experience as a woman engineer of workplace chauvinism and prejudice but has always sought to challenge and change attitudes and practices. As a young engineer working on the construction of the Cairo Metro with 400 men, she was given a key to a toilet that was three streets away. So, she commandeered the onsite men’s toilet when needed putting up a sign stating ‘occupied for feminine use’.

In her academic work, she has found evidence showing that a founding team or company board with a better gender balance tends to use 30% less resources, return 12% more and fair better in times of adversity. There’s also evidence of women doing things differently and that this diversity can be beneficial to the organization. And yet there are very few women on company boards and a shortage of women in senior positions in academia. Shima advocates a review of structural and organizational issues that break down stereotypes and forge new pathways for success both in companies and academia.