The Sustainabilist: International Women's Day issue

March 2021

International Women's Day Issue

ISBN 978 - 1978357310

Never change, just improve

Souad Jamal AlSerkal from Tabreed gives helpful advice to women seeking leadership roles

WWW.THESUSTAINABILIST.AE

Sustainability in the broadest sense also touches on equity, diversity, and inclusion talabat’s Susanne Elias Stulemeijer on placing sustainability at the core

I have always worked in very male-dominated industries Tania Jarjur from Yellow Door Energy shares past experiences navigating leadership as a woman

March 2021

International Women's Day Issue

Letter from the Editor in Chief

T

Eng Waleed Bin Salman Editor in Chief The Sustainabilist

The Sustainabilist Follow Us On

he UAE is ranked as a leading country in gender equality in the region, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap report. This achievement comes from the fundamental belief that women and men are equal members of society. Through a series of public and private sector initiatives, women are playing an increasingly stronger role in business, military, and government. Gender equality is of paramount importance in the UAE, and the Constitution of the UAE guarantees equal rights for both men and women.

In this special issue of The Sustainabilist, dedicated to the International Women’s Day on March 8th, you will find stories of strong, creative, and tenacious women, addressing their efforts to better themselves and their industries as well as detailing the hardships they have faced along the road, the failures they have overcome in order to grow, and efforts they continue to put into empowering other women.

In conjunction with the UAE Government initiatives to promote gender equality, we also believe that the successes of women in leadership should be acknowledged and celebrated. This special issue of The Sustainabilist is just that - a celebration of the women in leadership who have worked hard to shatter conceptions of what it means to be a strong female leader, visionary and trailblazer.

This special issue aims to highlight the importance of showing continued support, and acknowledging that some issues, similar to sustainability, need to be tackled through a conscious, communal effort.

Furthermore, we must remind ourselves to consistently improve and strive for even greater things. As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and the Ruler of Dubai, said “Great achievements remind us to be humble, but we should always be determined to do more.”

Editorial: www.thesustainabilist.ae/contribute Commercial: tellmeyourstory@dcce.ae

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We believe that the successes of women in leadership should be acknowledged and celebrated.

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The Sustainabilist is published by Dubai Carbon.

Articles reprinted in this issue are copyrighted 2021

by Dubai Carbon. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, without prior written permission of Dubai Carbon is expressively prohibited.

Nothing in this magazine shall be taken as technical or advice and DCCE waives any liability with respect to any representations made.The production of this magazine will be offset with local carbon credits.

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Contents

TANIA JARJUR

March 2021

International Women's Day Issue

ISBN 978 - 1978357310

Never change, just improve

Souad Jamal AlSerkal from Tabreed gives helpful advice to women seeking leadership roles

Sustainability in the broadest sense also touches on equity, diversity, and inclusion talabat’s Susanne Elias Stulemeijer on placing sustainability at the core

I have always worked in very male-dominated industries Tania Jarjur from Yellow Door Energy shares past experiences navigating leadership as a woman

WWW.THESUSTAINABILIST.AE

ON THE COVER Souad Jamal AlSerkal, Vice President - Strategic Communications, Tabreed

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SUSANNE ELIASSTULEMEIJER

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SOUAD JAMAL ALSERKAL

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Letter from the Editor in Chief

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Souad Jamal AlSerkal, Tabreed

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Julie Audette, Coethical

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Fatima Al Kaabi, Abu Dhabi Global Market Financial Services Regulatory Authority

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Susanne Elias-Stulemeijer, talabat

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HE Dr Nawal Al-Hosany, UAE's Permanent Representative to IRENA

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Vinita George, L’Oréal Middle East

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Yara Anabtawi, ACWA Power

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Padmini Gupta, rise

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Infographic: UAE Women in Numbers

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Nada Taryam, Bee’ah

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Mona Hammadi, Dubai; DLA Piper

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Florence Bulte, Chalhoub Group

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Tania Jarjur, Yellow Door Energy

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Rola Abu Manneh, Standard Chartered

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Dr Saeeda Jaffar, Alvarez and Marsal

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Dr Syham Bentouati, NAFAS International

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Gurmeet Kaur, Pinsent Masons; MESIA

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International Women's Day Issue

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leader to look up to, multitasking champion, n advocate of women’s empowerment, fearless innovator, caring mother, bold risk taker, true trailblazer and innovator ...

The Sustainabilist

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International Women's Day Issue

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Souad Jamal AlSerkal Vice President – Strategic Communications tabreed

The Sustainabilist

For women to be accepted, they have to be overachievers.

The bottom line is whether we can deliver added value, demonstrate the connection to share price and monetary value.

What aspects of Tabreed’s gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

At Tabreed, we are strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive work environment and culture. An initiative named Women in Tabreed was launched at the start of 2021 – the culmination of planning and a response to one of the Tabreed Employee Engagement Results 2019 focus areas. Our vision is to be the best-in-class in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), and this initiative aims to engage and empower women across Tabreed to excel, raise awareness and transparency, and alter mindsets thereby fostering a strong culture of D&I. How has Tabreed encouraged and benefited from women in leadership roles and management positions?

Tabreed’s stance on women in leadership roles has always been one of

encouragement and support, not just in management positions, but across the board and, as mentioned above, Women in Tabreed is an initiative we can all be extremely proud of. Three words underline everything we do in this regard: Engage.

Empower. Excel.

What is Tabreed’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve Tabreed’s sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

Tabreed prides itself on being an environmentally conscious ‘green’ company and has well-documented achievements. This is not limited to our cooling services to our clients, but includes our internal policies which aim to reduce waste in our day-to-day operations and promote efficiency. In 2020, Tabreed received The Energy Management Insight Award, the Solar Impulse

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International Women's Day Issue

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If environmental sustainability becomes a way of life, there will be a profit margin with time.

The most important part of getting there is ..having having everyone ride the same wave

Efficient Solution Label Award, and the Future Workplace Award, in addition to harbouring the Quality Management System (QMS): ISO 9001:2015, the Environment Management System: ISO 14001:2015 (EMS), the Occupational Health and Safety Management System: ISO 45001:2018, and the Energy Management System (EnMS): ISO 50001:2018. These awards and ISO certifications are a testament to Tabreed’s focus on energy management, operational innovation and excellence, and its people.

What does Tabreed do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

We’ve adopted many policies, such as providing employees with flexible work hours and working from home, especially for the benefit of mothers with young children. Due to the global pandemic, Tabreed has ensured that all personnel, particularly those with children, are afforded the necessary support to ensure that their responsibilities at home are tended to. We have introduced the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers staff and their family members a platform with 24/7 free professional support in a wide range of areas, such as

mental/physical wellbeing, legal expertise, emotional support, and more.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

To recognise the talent, power, capabilities in each other and strive to uplift and support one another to achieve our greatest potential. At Tabreed, we believe that women’s roles are essential and key to the company’s future growth – we complement our male counterparts and without this synergy progress cannot be made.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

Here, I believe, cultural nuances and historical precedence come into play.

In some regions, historically and culturally, the dominant norm is the matriarchy, so empowering women to voice their opinions, be influential and make important decisions comes with ease. However, when patriarchy takes precedence, like in the majority of the world, it is truly a solemn responsibility for our brethren to step up, speak up, and allow women to occupy the space they require.

What have been your challenges navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

Fortunately, I am in a country where the government holds women in high regard as key members of society and provides every opportunity for them to flourish.

While this may not be the case across the Middle East and abroad, it is slowly being recognised as not just a necessity, but a fundamental requirement for a modern society looking forward to a prosperous future.

How do you feel your leadership is helping drive your company and the industry in a positive direction?

My perspective brings a lot to the table.

The way I work is to look on a project from multiple angles, which, in turn, allows for multiple outcomes. I am a listener by nature and that helps me put a face and personality to the problem, which consequently allows me to best tackle the situation. Understanding personalities and the way each thinks allows one to 'speak the same language' as them and use the optimal solution to move forward.

In what ways are you and Tabreed helping to create leaders?

The Sustainabilist We hold 360 evaluations with external consultants who assist us with identifying each one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Based on the findings, we are then able to maximise on our existing skills and address the ones requiring advancement.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Absolutely. If environmental sustainability becomes a way of life, there will be a profit margin with time. The most important part of getting there is having everyone ride the same wave.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

The lack of support, feelings of doubt, and the difficulty of being heard in maledominated industries.

What will be the challenge for the biggest generation of female leaders?

To earn trust and overcome scepticism.

For women to be accepted, they have to be overachievers. The bottom line is whether we can deliver added value, demonstrate the connection to share price and monetary value.

What advice would you give to women

who are seeking out leadership roles?

My life motto is: Never change, just improve! With that, I would advise my sisters to develop thick skin, never take anything personally and continuously develop their skills and broaden their horizons.

In your opinion, are programmes and initiatives enough to close the gender gap?

No. It requires a combination of the above and education. The full mindset of the existence of the gender gap needs to be addressed.

A growing number of governments, organisations, and businesses across the world want to advance women in the workplace, but not always know how.

What would you advise to them?

To simply speak, listen, then take action.

Listen to women, ask about what their needs are, try and understand their perspective, and always provide a platform for women to be heard and resources to support them.

Do you believe in affirmative action policies? DoesTabreed have any affirmative action policies in place?

Certainly. Tabreed has ensured that

all of our personnel are afforded equal opportunities in the workplace, particularly with a workforce as diverse as ours, who come from many different cultural backgrounds and walks of life. Currently, we have a large number of women working in senior and managerial roles within the company, including three female VPs of different departments. When opportunities arise to fill positions, we take an active approach in including all qualified personnel irrespective of their gender, religion or nationality.

How would you describe Tabreed's culture regarding women in leadership?

It is maturing. I started off with Tabreed in 2018, being the only female in top management. Today, we have three on that board and it is exhilarating to see where we’ll go next.

What is your most important diversity goal at Tabreed right now?

Diversity is a positive across all parts of society and the workplace especially. We are determined to promote the right talent into positions irrespective of someone’s gender or background – a goal every company should be aiming for, not just ours. Talent is what’s important, and we will do all we can to nurture that in our people.

SOUAD JAMAL ALSERKAL

VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Souad Jamal AlSerkal, Vice President of Strategic Communications at Tabreed, is on Zayed University’s College of Communication and Media Sciences (CCMS) National Advisory Council and is also an Executive Board member at the Middle East Public Relations Association. She possesses extensive experience in PR, government relations, and corporate communications. She holds a Master’s degree in Sciences of International Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Sciences.

In her role at Tabreed, AlSerkal orchestrated communication strategies, in turn reflecting on brand positioning, brand profitability and market share. She oversees programmes that promote the company’s experts and executive management to the public and internal activities that drive employee engagement and position the communications department as an integral component of the business cycle.

AlSerkal’s 14 years of experience had her working at Abu Dhabi Media, Al Tayer Group, Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding, Dubai International Film Festival, and Arab Media Group.

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International Women's Day Issue

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JULIE AUDETTE ceo

Coethical

What is Coethical’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve the company’s sustainability goals?

Sustainability is at the milieu of everything we do. Firstly, by sourcing brands and products that are chemical-free, never tested on animals and significantly reduce the dependency on single-use plastic in the UAE. Secondly, by adopting sustainability practices when it comes to our operations, including distribution, packaging, water conservation, office and warehouse efficiency.

How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

The Sustainabilist

Since launching Coethical, I have aspired the sustainability values and practices adopted at my home to be replicated in our workplace. This included adopting and supporting environmentally conscious practices (including recycling, water conservation and with the environment in mind). I built Coethical so that these core values could be reflected. More recently, our team has volunteered in various beach clean efforts in Dubai.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment means promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others. Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities, and countries.

What have been your challenges navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship has made me better at both. Patience is the key. I didn’t have the patience to run a business when I was younger. Also, motherhood helped me on the multi-tasking and prioritising front. I also don’t think I was confident enough to negotiate contracts with our brands before I had kids, but I can say negotiating with my daughter for the last four years has made me an expert negotiator!

How do you feel your leadership is helping drive your company and the industry in a positive direction?

By treating everyone equally and professionally. Everyone on the Coethical team was hired because I see great things in them. I tell my team (including my husband) when they do a great job and when they could do better. Good business leaders don’t hold back from constructive criticism and positive feedback.

In what ways are you and Coethical helping to create leaders?

I empower people who work at Coethical

If we don’t support women in their careers, then the workforce only has half the successful leaders, opinions, ideas, and growth possible, as it’s only supporting half the population. to craft new solutions to problems. I do not want to be the smartest person here; I want the people who work here to be smarter than me and to outshine me. I want to empower our team at all levels here (from interns to senior staff) to tell me what to do. I also want our team to know they have a stake in the company and feel empowered to tell me how to constantly evolve, improve and do what we do better.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Absolutely. Who cares, wins. Always.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

Being treated equally. From being held to a higher standard than their male counterparts, to facing persistent gender stereotypes, women are unfortunately still placed on an uneven playing field.

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What advice would you give to women who are seeking to start their business career?

I tell them to dream big because the first job they have won’t be the last. They should also appreciate and understand that hard work is the only way to get to where they want to be. There is no greater feeling than seeing the results of your own hard work.

In your opinion, are programmes and initiatives enough to close the gender gap?

Gender equality is a basic human right, and it is also fundamental to having a peaceful, prosperous world. While some progress is being made in various parts of the world, there is still a great deal left to be done to right the problems of gender inequality.

A growing number of governments, organisations, and businesses across the world want to advance women in the workplace, but not always know how.

What would you advise them?

If we don’t support women in their careers, then the workforce only has half the successful leaders, opinions, ideas, and growth possible, as it’s only supporting half the population. As someone who runs a company, it is my responsibility to give women an equal chance, offer leadership opportunities, and invest in them, which is something we are focussed on.

Do you believe in affirmative action policies? Does Coethical have any affirmative action policies in place?

We are still a small team having launched only recently, a few months ago; however, we are pushing for more women to be part of Coethical team. The time has come for women to thrive.

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Women’s empowerment means being independent, having the right to make your own choices, and creating impact.

FATIMA AL KAABI Specialist – International Affairs Abu Dhabi Global Market Financial Services Regulatory Authority

The Sustainabilist

What aspects of ADGM’s gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

Our efforts around gender equality are expansive and aim to impact how companies worldwide address diversity, inclusion, and the gender gap. We established the ADGM Gender Equality Initiative to strengthen gender balance and representation across all job functions and levels in the UAE workplace. The Initiative is based on three pillars: leading by example, working collaboratively, and championing effective change.

Internally, we are rolling out salary reviews, developing unconscious bias trainings, and putting together flexible working practices and parental leave to ensure equal opportunity is present throughout our organisation. Externally, we have formed partnerships with organisations that have the same goal. These collaborations have led to the formation of the Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG), with the objectives of coordinating and amplifying gender equality efforts, promoting international standards, and enhancing capacity building.

What is ADGM’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve ADGM’s sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

Abu Dhabi and the UAE have actively driven ESG efforts across the region to aid in the development of a sustainable ecosystem and ensure economic and environmental longevity for generations to come. At the policy level, the UAE Vision 2021, the UAE Green Agenda 20152030, and the UAE National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050 demonstrate the UAE Government’s commitment to driving positive economic, social and environmental outcomes. Building on these robust frameworks, ADGM has championed several initiatives that aim to bolster the development of sustainable finance to support regional and global economic development. Chief amongst these efforts is ADGM’s introduction of its

Sustainable Finance Agenda, which sets out our roadmap for the development of a vibrant and thriving sustainable finance hub that supports capital formation, raising and deployment, as well as the creation and issuance of products to achieve economic, social and environmental objectives. Our efforts to create this vibrant sustainable finance hub are founded on four pillars: integration of sustainability into the regulatory framework of ADGM, building cooperation with national and international stakeholders, fostering communication, knowledge and awareness, and creation of a sustainable finance ecosystem within ADGM. To engage our employees on ADGM’s wider efforts, we have instilled a culture that champions sustainability through the protection and conservation of the environment, the minimisation of our carbon footprint, the encouragement of transparent governance practices, and many more.

ADGM also provides employees, such as me, with the opportunity to engage in landmark initiatives that ignite impact in the UAE’s wider sustainability agenda.

These include flagship initiatives, such as the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, as well as webinar discussions with key industry leaders.

What does ADGM do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

ADGM has striven to instil a robust corporate culture that is anchored by the values of community and wellbeing through its progressive workplace frameworks. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, ADGM has enacted a remote working policy that allows our work culture to focus on productivity rather than hours spent.

Part of my success can be attributed to the support ADGM offers to its employees and the measures taken to ensure an ideal work-life balance, especially for female employees.

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What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

In my opinion, women’s empowerment means being independent, having the right to make your own choices, and creating impact. As a female representative of ADGM, I am grateful for the opportunity to make an impact and contribute to the UAE’s efforts in ensuring a more sustainable future.

In what ways are you and ADGM helping to create leaders?

On the entrepreneurial front, we have collaborated with key regional and international entities to advance our gender equality agenda and ensure equal opportunity for female entrepreneurs.

For instance, ADGM co-authored a white paper with the Embassy of the United States, titled ‘Gender Equality and Entrepreneurship’, which examines the key challenges facing entrepreneurs within the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, while suggesting possible further actions.

ADGM is also an active member of several national initiatives that aim to empower the next generation of leaders with pertinent skills in their chosen fields. A prime example of ADGM’s efforts in this regard is its contribution to the Al Yah initiative, a training programme designed to educate and qualify Emirati calibre on ADGM’s core functions, including financial supervisory, licensee registration, or arbitration and dispute resolution.

In your opinion, are programmes and initiatives enough to close the gender gap?

Programmes and initiatives play a critical role in the progression of gender equality.

However, concrete action and support from government authorities is required if we are to generate considerable impact.

Government legislations and frameworks are integral in closing the gap. The UAE, for instance, is at the forefront of these global efforts, resulting in the introduction of landmark frameworks and initiatives, such as the UAE Gender Balance Council and the UAE Gender Inequality Index.

International Women's Day Issue

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Susanne EliasStulemeijer Vice President of Communications, Corporate Responsibility and Public Affairs talabat

The Sustainabilist

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Shaping talabat’s purpose We sat down to talk with Susanne Elias-Stulemeijer, Vice President of Communications, Corporate Responsibility and Public Affairs at talabat about the pandemic, her role as a working mother and wife of an executive husband, and what sustainability meant, for talabat.

For an organisation that is approaching its 18th year, talabat, the region’s leading food delivery and q-commerce app, has a sustainability journey that is in its relative infancy. While undoubtedly, talabat has done a lot of good over many years, 2019 brought the first steps of a concerted strategy, when the organisation employed their first Corporate Responsibility Executive.

‘It really was, all-hands on deck.’ EliasStulemeijer says. ‘My boys were super understanding, and throughout the disruption, they adapted really well however, trying to juggle everything together, family, and work, sometimes I felt like there weren't enough hours in the day!’

‘For talabat, from a sustainability perspective, we zoomed into our ecosystem Susanne Elias-Stulemejier joined three - our customers, partners, riders, and local months later, as Senior Director of community. This included both physical Communications, Corporate Responsibility safety and also business continuity.’ and Public Affairs, a title which in just over 15 months has been upgraded to Vice ‘The pandemic enabled us to discover President. what we were made of as an organisation, a greater calling and an identity. Our people For Susanne and talabat, the last year has were the big driver of that. We wanted been a whirlwind ride. Personally, having to be more purpose-driven, and have to juggle the home-schooling of three sustainability at the core of what we do. It ‘energetic’ little boys (aged 2, 6 and 8) was a very conscious decision.’ during lockdown, as well as her role at talabat, an organisation that was thrown That conscious decision has led talabat to into the spotlight as a care-taker of the F&B take on an unofficial mantra - we deliver ecosystem, and as such, played a major role for you, doing all that they could to shield, in keeping the general population safe and at protect and grow their ecosystem, helping home, was a massive challenge. many vendors to not just keep the lights

on, but grow during the pandemic. The organisation also went above and beyond to look after those in-need, facilitating the donation of over 343,000 meals, and delivering over 42,000 medicines to chronically-ill patients during the pandemic, as well as raising almost EUR 1.3M through the app, with strategic partners and other contributions.

Elias-Stulemeijer’s VP role allows her to act as a critical intersection between communications, corporate responsibility and public affairs, advising and empowering talabat’s efforts to make an impact on the communities in which they operate. She credits both her team, for being simply ‘outstanding,’ and also being able to enable this change through having a seat in talabat’s Executive Committee.

‘To be an effective leader, you need to have the right team behind you, and thankfully, I have the best team in the region! Not only that, I also really want to pay tribute to our CEO, Tomaso, and my colleagues in our leadership team, for having the vision to understand how important the three

International Women's Day Issue

disciplines are for modern organisations moving forward - and how critical they are to customer, ecosystem, and government perception of talabat.’

As the region starts to take steps towards returning back to a new-normal, EliasStulemeijer believes it’s now time to really enhance sustainability efforts.

‘We are looking at all aspects of our business. Sustainability is not only about taking your responsibility as a corporate - both internally as well as externally, it’s also about how we enable sustainable

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practices in all aspects - logistics, cloud kitchens, q-commerce, food delivery, as well as within the employees in our organisation.’

It’s not only about us, however, as the leading player, we need to understand how we can promote and influence sustainable practices within our ecosystem and beyond. We’re here to continue to deliver, to benefit our communities.’

Lastly, but perhaps one of the most important points, for talabat, sustainability in the broadest sense also touches on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

‘Studies show that organisations with more diverse teams far outperform organisations that don’t have an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. ‘Our vision at talabat is that “you can be you” when you join the team, which is something that we are extremely passionate about, and will continue to hold at the heart of our internal culture, moving forward.’

SUSANNE ELIASSTULEMEIJER

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Busy mum of three little boys, heading up and building the communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility function at talabat, MENA's leading food delivery and Q-Commerce platform. Previously leading EMEA Comms at Uber from London/ Amsterdam and lobbying at EU and national level, based out of Lausanne and Brussels.

I am passionate about my family, the news, Swiss chocolate and cheese fondue (in no particular order) and last but not least diversity, inclusion, and representation.

The Sustainabilist

HE DR NAWAL AL-HOSANY Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA

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International Women's Day Issue

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment is all about women having the freedom to choose their actions and words without needing to look over their shoulder to find out whether they have been politically correct or socially compliant. In the dynamic 21st century landscape, women’s empowerment is not merely a right, it is equally a responsibility – enabling women to be the best version of themselves and to contribute proactively to support their family and their nation.

As women in the UAE, we are blessed to live in a country that is well aware of the capabilities of its women and makes every effort to hone and leverage those strengths in building a future-focussed economy.

The country established the UAE Gender Balance Council in 2015, and currently ranks among the world’s leading nations with a 50% representation of women in the Federal National Council. Women also make up one-third of the UAE Cabinet.

In late February, the UAE topped the Middle East and North Africa regional rankings in the World Bank’s 2021 ‘Women, Business and the Law’ (WBL) report. The country’s ratings in the World Bank report saw a significant leap by virtue of ground-breaking legislative reforms implemented over the past few years.

Clearly, the significant strides made by the

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UAE can be attributed to the more than 20 new reforms implemented recently. In letter and spirit today, the voice of UAE women is clearly articulated as they take on their rightful leadership roles across the public and private sector. Of course, we still have miles to go when it comes to making sure empowerment is in synch in theory and practice, but a progress report of the first 50 years of its formation indicates that the UAE is off to a flying start compared to its counterparts in the region.

Gender parity is well intertwined into the social fabric of the UAE. Emirati women’s lofty ambitions today transcend space!

From a total of 4,300 applicants for the UAE Astronaut Programme last year, 1,400 were Emirati women.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

The UAE has recently been ranked as the most gender balanced country in the Middle East region, at number 18 globally in the United Nations Development Programme 2020 Gender Balance Index.

The 2021 edition of the WBL report I referred to earlier indicates that at least in 10 countries, women are now on an equal legal standing with men across all areas measured – Belgium, Canada,

Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Sweden. This year, Ireland joined the group by reforming parental leave and Portugal equalised rules for remarriage.

There are, however, clear differences among countries, as a result of the political will and vision necessary to drive the reforms needed in securing equal pay for equal work, representation in parliament, and changing mindsets at the grassroots level. To give you an example – a statistic from UN Women noted in 2017 that global unemployment rates for men and women stood at 5.5% and 6.2% respectively. This was projected to remain relatively unchanged going into 2018 and through 2021. Some of the key steps governments around the world can take to accelerate women’s empowerment is increasing awareness among women and girls, stopping child marriage and sexual harassment, making education gender sensitive and inclusive, raising aspirations among girls and their parents, and valuing women’s work. Sustainability and access to clean drinking water is a core solution to empower women in the poorest countries around the world today.

Economic empowerment – encouraging them to set up small microenterprises – goes a long way in ensuring they are well capable of fending for themselves and becoming independent.

The Sustainabilist The pandemic has exacerbated the challenge for women’s empowerment – with violence against women reporting a surge throughout the last year. It has, however, also contributed to highlighting the need to engage women in decision making and in designing policies and frameworks for issues concerning them.

Women are not only the hardest hit by this pandemic – in many instances, they are also the backbone of recovery. Putting women and girls at the centre of economies will fundamentally drive better and more sustainable development outcomes for all, support a more rapid recovery, and give the world a reasonable chance to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

What have been your challenges in navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

As an Emirati woman, it has not been a challenge for me to reach beyond my grasp in every position of leadership I have been fortunate to occupy. Whether at Abu Dhabi Police, Masdar, or at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, the journey

has been an enabling and rewarding one, of course helped along by considerable innovation and hard work. I would largely attribute this to the immense support of the UAE’s visionary leadership in helping Emirati women achieve our ambitions, and the continuous push to excel that is present at all levels – in the government and private sector. From its early days, the UAE has placed gender equality at the heart of its long-term strategies, and shaped the renewable energy industry as a key component in driving its goal of empowering women to affect positive change. I would also thank the mentors, advisors and friends that have influenced me to become the sustainability advocate I am today. I always repeat this line from my early days in forensics and the Abu Dhabi Police – every contact leaves a trace – you have an impact on every person you interact with and vice versa.

Women are making noteworthy contributions to elevating their social standing in the country in the area of soft power - a 2015 Georgetown Institute for

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Women, Peace and Security study of peace processes found that when civil society groups – including women’s organisations and religious groups – were included, the accords were 64% less likely to fail. Women have shown a great flair for navigating diplomatic roles with a high degree of success. We must empower women in senior diplomatic roles while also ensuring that our domestic and foreign policies facilitate women around the world.

IRENA has estimated that nearly four million jobs were added in the renewable energy industry between 2011 and 2019, with the number set to surge much further. The growing industry welcomes greater female participation and ensures a fair distribution of socio-economic opportunities to lead global energy transformation. I encourage more Emirati women to enroll in STEM disciplines and through this winning combination of science and diplomacy, help lead the charge in achieving sustainability and contributing to strengthening the UAE’s knowledge economy.

Putting women and girls at the centre of economies will fundamentally drive better and more sustainable development outcomes for all

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I dare to challenge the status quo gracefully, and this has given a fresh perspective and angle to business solutions

VINITA GEORGE Director of Operations

L’Oréal Middle East

The Sustainabilist

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment to me is the opportunity to showcase the intrinsic strengths of being a woman without limits and boundaries. It is the ability to know our self-worth and own the space rather than give it up due to social constraints, legacy behaviours or boundaries of custom.

Womeen’s empowerment is seeing more women in power and leading organisations across the world alongside with men, and with equity and no bias.

What aspects of L'Oréal women’s empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

My personal favorite is the L'OréalUNESCO for Women in Science programme, which was established in 1998. The programme empowers, recognises and promotes exceptional women scientists and funds their researches in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For the past 23 years, the programme has also been committed to improving the representation of women in science and further enhance their careers.

In the GCC, the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents programme has become one of the most highly-regarded initiatives in the region. To date, the programme has recognised 35 phenomenal Arab female researchers from the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi, and Yemen.

How has L'Oréal encouraged and benefited from women in leadership roles and management positions?

In GCC, 56% of the L'Oréal Middle East leadership roles are held by women. This enhances quality of results, increases balance of decisions, fosters creativity and above all underlines our continuous hunger for advocating and promoting a diverse and inclusive workspace. We have been ranked first in Gender Equality by Equileap Europe 2020 and recognised in Bloomberg Gender Equality Index 2021 for the 4th consecutive year. This is due to the Group’s commitment to support

and foster equity across functions. In any leadership role, assertive authority, high level of emotional intelligence, and inspiration are key factors to bring results, and the women leaders in L'Oréal have repeatedly testified to this and hence encouraged others to follow suit.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Absolutely, reduction of waste is the principle of both environmental sustainability and profitability. Sustainable alternatives for CO2 reduction, plastic elimination, solidarity sourced ingredients are all elements which can bring us positive growth while protecting our sustainability goals. I have seen it happening repeatedly in my experience and definitely confirm that the right sustainable alternatives are the future for all profitable companies.

Sustainability has become a habit and should not be an option, but a must-have for everyone.

What is L'Oréal vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve L'Oréal sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

In 2020, L'Oréal launched its sustainability programme “L’Oréal for the Future”, to transform the business to respect the planetary boundaries and limit our impact on biodiversity, water, climate and resource utilisation. By 2025, all of L’Oréal’s sites will have achieved carbon neutrality by improving energy efficiency and using 100% renewable energy. By 2030, L’Oréal will reduce its entire greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per finished product, compared to 2016, and 100% of the plastics used in the products’ packaging will be either from recycled or bio-based sources.

In addition, the Group launched L’Oréal Fund for Nature Regeneration and allocated EUR 150 million to address urgent social and environmental issues.

The fund will support damaged natural marine and forest ecosystems restoration

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projects as well as help vulnerable women through field organisations and local charities.

In the GCC, L'Oréal Middle East have implemented Green Office to encourage sustainable behaviour among employees in their daily lives in and outside the office.

In addition, our distribution centres are moving toward zero plastic and we continue to optimise our transportation network to reduce our carbon footprint. We advocate ‘Reduce Recycle’ as a mantra. L’Oréal has 35 carbon neutral sites, and the Group is moving towards sustainable packaging alternatives and natural ingredients at source.

What does L’Oréal do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

L’Oréal has been facilitating parenting and work-life balance with the L’Oréal Share & Care programme. The employees are given flex-work options, parental leave for both mother and father, learning and development programmes targeted toward wellness, both emotional and physical. The leadership team demonstrates this work-life balance and values the sense of “me time” and “family time”. Celebration is also a part of the “feel good at work” as we organise moments for bringing children of employees together with our family day and all staff celebrations.

How do you feel your leadership is helping drive your company and the industry in a positive direction?

“Be you and lead” has been my leadership moto. Being a women leader in the operations field in Middle East is definitely not a usual. I do believe this is my secret advantage as I’m able to capitalise on both my experience of working in this field in different countries and also harness the emotional strength that comes naturally. I dare to challenge the status quo gracefully, and this has given a fresh perspective and angle to business solutions. We have done some successful projects over the past years that have driven profitability and operational excellence.

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YARA ANABTAWI

chief people, culture & communication officer ACWA Power

The Sustainabilist

Women need to be undeterred by challenges and push past the unfamiliar to pursue the fields they are passionate about.

What aspects of ACWA Power gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

At ACWA Power, one of our key internal principles is to foster diversity and equal opportunity. Our commitment to gender empowerment encompasses programmes both within the company and externally amongst communities. I am happy that we have a holistic approach to gender empowerment; it is essential to drive change.

For example, in Morocco, we have partnered with Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) and ECOHZ to empower women based in Ouarzazate, a local community near our NOOR solar complex. WOCAN is responsible for creating the W+TM Standard (W+), a tool that measures the impact of projects on women empowerment and increases their access to resources and capital, scaling up solutions to climate change, food security, and poverty. Our partnership

with WOCAN allows us to support local women's initiatives in Ouarzazate.

Internally, we have recently pioneered a programme focussed on women's leadership empowerment and advancement within ACWA Power and enhancing their learning and development through internal workshops and international conferences.

Our initiatives cover both internal and external gender empowerment programmes, and we believe it is important to have a balanced approach to address this globally important issue.

ACWA Power is also a signatory to Empower Alliance - G20 global initiative which drives meaningful measures aimed to promote the advancement of women.

What is ACWA Power vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve ACWA Power sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

ACWA Power's mission is to deliver power and water reliably and responsibly in the markets we serve across the world.

Sustainability, therefore, is deeply embedded in our business DNA and is at the core of our efforts to accelerate energy transition globally. As the need for climate action gets more pressing by the day, we are relentlessly pursuing affordable clean energy solutions that enable nations to chart a sustainable path to progress.

One of ACWA Power's key internal values is diversity and equal opportunity.

At ACWA Power, we encourage a diverse and inclusive workforce in line with UN SDG 5: Gender Equality.

ACWA Power is also committed to localisation; we support meaningful employment, education, training, and a safe workplace for people within the local communities we serve. We assist in their development by enhancing local infrastructure, skill-building, and

nurturing financial sustainability.

Additionally, our internal programmes engage employees in our sustainability efforts and support their desire to make a difference.

What does women's empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment can be defined in many ways - for me, it is first and foremost about creating equal opportunity and appreciating people with different approaches. Favouring people who are most similar to us, whether by gender, ethnicity, skill set, behaviour, or working style, gives us tunnel thinking and limits what is possible. It is important to develop an environment where women can learn and work in any field they choose, and give them the same platforms to compete and excel. This starts with nurturing an accepting and tolerant environment.

Through our Empower Alliance G20 global initiative partnership, we support sharing best practices on women's empowerment and looking beyond ratios and targets to focus on meaningful measures aimed at equal opportunity, removal of bias, and other behaviors that stand in the way of diversity.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

We witness new progress in women leadership every day, the most recent being many countries pushing for more women as board members. ACWA Power has women in management and leadership, which gives gender diversity a voice at a strategic level.

However, despite an upward movement and a more gender-inclusive approach in recent years, women still face several challenges. Many of these are behavioural biases that have been years in the making.

Things will not transform overnight.

We need to work towards changing mindsets every day, and devise meaningful measures and systems that help create a truly diverse business environment.

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International Women's Day Issue

There is also a clear need to build strong women-centric business network platforms supporting leadership skill-building and creating visibility for women leaders. It is also essential that we train the next generation of leaders through effective mentorship programmes. At ACWA Power, we have recently introduced a mentoring programme for young women supported by senior women leaders within the company. It is our way of training the next generation champions for leadership roles.

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They should build a network of mentors, colleagues, industry leaders who will support them in this journey.

But my most important advice is: don't give up; pursue your path with confidence. The glass ceiling can often be one's own creation, or at the very least, supported by one's own doing.

It will not be easy, but each barrier that is broken and each positive change that emerges helps women across the board become strong leaders and create the right influence. Our collective responsibility is to pay it forward and pave the path for future leaders - essentially continuing the strategy that has been used over the last two centuries to champion gender equality and support women to achieve equal leadership positions in the future.

What is your most important diversity goal at your company right now?

We are working to improve our gender parity numbers. We recently welcomed onboard a leader responsible for driving diversity across all roles within the company. We have set What advice would you give to women strong number-driven internship and recruitment criteria to ensure equal representation who are seeking out leadership roles? and gender parity in new roles. ACWA Power has always championed meritocracy and equal Women need to be undeterred by opportunity, and we are now taking a more proactive role to ensure we build a truly diverse challenges and push past the unfamiliar to workplace, powered by the strength of its constituents who each bring a unique and valuable pursue the fields they are passionate about. offering.

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PADMINI GUPTA Chief Executive Officer rise

What aspects of rise’s gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

We are really unique, probably the only one globally, as a financial services company that predominantly serves women customers. We started by building financial services for domestic helpers in the UAE – which represent 1 in 4 women in the country and are some of the most marginalised people in our community.

We started by helping them gain access to bank accounts, get insured, build a retirement plan and get affordable loans.

We also initiated the first UAE Best Nanny Awards in 2016 to celebrate this community. We did this to help celebrate the many women who are our everyday superheroes – but are often ashamed to share that they work as domestic helpers with their families back home. We started this to bring recognition to the critical role nannies play in our society, with more than 95% of UAE kids having some percentage of their time spent under nanny supervision.

The Sustainabilist

While we since have come a long way and now serve a large cross section of customers – even beyond the UAE – the small role we could play early on in bringing dignity and recognition to our domestic helpers in the UAE continues to be something, I am personally very proud of.

How has rise encouraged and benefited from women in leadership roles and management positions?

As a company we are more than 25 people strong, but a significant majority of our team continues to be and be led by women. Our marketing, finance, customer service, and sales team are all majority women and woman led.

What is rise’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve rise’s sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

As a professional, I have had a long history of association with sustainability efforts. As a banker, I sat on the board of the San Diego Redevelopment task force in the 2000’s where sustainability was one of the key elements on the agenda.

Subsequently, I was a global leadership fellow at the World Economy Forum – where my two areas of focus – urban mobility and climate change, both had significant sustainability elements.

As I began my entrepreneurship journey, how to enable sustainability through our efforts continues to be a key part of our mission. There are two key ways in which we enable sustainability. First and foremost, taking the process of buying financial services fully digital, thereby reducing the need for heavy carbon footprint paperwork. Be it in opening accounts, or buying insurance, or getting credit, this can significantly reduce carbon footprint for people acquiring financial services. Secondly, adopting aggressive remote working practices – even before COVID-19, thereby reducing travel and office space requirements and enabling us to grow more sustainably.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

As an entrepreneur in fintech and as a mother, for me personally, women’s empowerment is a fundamental right. One that is central to achieving a prosperous world in which women can determine their own choices, and ability to influence social change for themselves and those around them.

As we celebrate this International Women’s Day on March 8th – the date the Russian Suffrage movement won rights for women to vote in 1917 – and after

As an entrepreneur in fintech and as a mother, for me personally, women’s empowerment is a fundamental right. the year of simultaneous challenges and triumphs, I feel a sense of gratitude to my fellow women leaders, mothers, friends, migrants, they are the light for those around them. Without their light, the world is certainly a darker place.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

I do believe they can co-exist, and this is in large part already integrated within rise through our business model of financial inclusion and mobile money. 2020 has completely changed global consumption habits and digitised financial services at an unprecedented pace – forcing

more transactions to happen digitally and online – with cash transactions discouraged to limit personal contact, which naturally is a far more environmentally sustainable method, where it is possible.

The move to a green cashless society is critical for the MENAP region, as less than one in six adults have access to bank accounts and 85% of all transactions are currently cash based.

We at rise believe an environmentally sustainable transition to digital cash for everyone will need to focus not just on making mobile money solutions available to the market but focus on making it usable for the market too.

In short, financial inclusion and mobile money models, such as ours, are evolving to enable everyone everywhere to participate fully in the new digital and environmentally sustainable economy, thus co-existing already.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

2020 posed many challenges for women leaders, and I would say that the year has pushed all women to lead in one form or another. Albeit working at the helm of humanity’s response to the pandemic and leading the charge in healthcare as doctors, nurses, and scientists; or be it in education, were 75% of teachers are women. Or even be it at home, where working women took on multifarious roles of leading professionally in their careers, as teachers, and as a caregivers all in one.

Within my industry, women are pushing boundaries and leading success every day. And now, just in the beginning of 2021, we have already seen the IPO of Bumble – both founded and led by a women CEO as well as being a platform targeting the female demographic. But despite the progress we have made, there is much more to be done and much more repair to be carried out to tackle the impact of COVID-19.

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The UAE ranks 1# for gender equality in the middle east

The UAE is home to the first UN Women Liaison in the MENA region

2/3 public sector jobs

are held by women

50% of the Federal National

Council, the UAE’s consultative parliamentary body, are women

Sources: 12020 WEF Global Gender Gap Index; UAE Gender Balance Council, Gender Balance Index 2018; Forbes Middle East 100 Power Businesswomen List

UAE WOM IN NUMB

MEN BERS

The Sustainabilist

43% of investors in the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange are women

Women make up 34% of the Mars Mission team, and 80% of the team’s scientists

Women make up 20% of the diplomatic corps, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Women make up 27% of cabinet-level ministers in the UAE

Women make up 70% of all university graduates in the UAE 56% of the UAE’s graduates in STEM courses at government universities are women

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NADA TARYAM

Managing Director – Civil and Architectural Projects Bee’ah

The Sustainabilist

We need to harness the untapped potential of female talent and their capabilities, and that means improving female representation across all industries What is Bee’ah’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

Bee’ah’s primary aim is pioneer sustainable quality of life for the communities we serve.

One of the company’s greatest achievement has been reaching a 76% waste diversion rate in Sharjah – the highest in the Middle East – through an integrated approach to waste management, advanced recycling facilities, and innovative technologies.

We are also building the UAE’s first waste-to-energy facility in Sharjah, which will bring the waste diversion rate up to 100% by 2021. Bee’ah also has multiple community outreach programmes to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling and household waste segregation for the environment. Based on our reputation and successful track record in the UAE, Bee’ah expanded into Egypt and KSA in 2020, where we are exporting our sustainable solutions to Egypt’s New Administrative Capital and Madinah City.

Bee’ah’s employees are all committed to sustainability, and we believe in leading by example. Some of our recent initiatives include going plastic-free at our offices and facilities, replacing plastic bottles with water filters for employees, and providing each employee with reusable cutlery kits.

Our new headquarters, which will be an iconic architectural landmark set against the natural desert landscape in Sharjah, is also a representation of Bee’ah’s values. We aim to make the headquarters a net-zero energy building, powered by renewable energy through an on-site solar farm and Tesla Powerpack batteries. The

headquarters also makes use of recycled materials in construction, has an on-site graywater recycling system, and will achieve a 90% efficiency of all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Bee’ah’s headquarters is also an AI-integrated office of the future, with technologies developed

by Johnson Controls, Microsoft and our own digitalisation venture, EVOTEQ. The numerous AI-use cases within the building will support resource optimisation, energy savings, smart facility management, and create an optimal environment for employee happiness and satisfaction.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

When women are empowered to succeed, societies become stronger and more prosperous. We need to harness the untapped potential of female talent and their capabilities, and that means improving female representation across all industries, especially in futurecritical sectors, so that all segments of a community can reap equitable benefits, and a society as a whole can progress.

Here in the UAE, we are fortunate to be in a country that actively supports inclusivity and gender equality. The UAE Cabinet has among the world’s highest participation of women, and I believe that this speaks volumes about the country’s commitment to women's empowerment.

What have been your challenges navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

As a woman in a leadership role and in a male-dominated industry, I have had to work harder to prove myself and my capabilities to overcome gender bias and

societal stereotypes. Nonetheless, I am proud of the achievements that women have made in the fields of art, design and culture, and of my own role in paving the way forward for women leaders of tomorrow. As an Emirati woman, I am thankful to the UAE’s leadership for carving out equal opportunities for men and women alike, and to Bee’ah for empowering the women in our organisation across various functions.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Profitability and environmental sustainability can definitely coexist.

Environmental challenges should not be viewed as a burden, but as an opportunity.

At Bee’ah, we are working to support cities in their transition towards zerowaste and a circular economy, which aims to redefine growth while designing out waste and pollution. Our ultimate aim is to support cities’ transformation into modern, sustainable and future-proof arenas that benefit current generations and generations to come.

What advice would you give to women who are seeking out leadership roles?

For women are who seeking leadership roles, I think it is important to believe in yourself and know your worth. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by preconceived notions, circumstances or challenges, instead, strive to constantly go beyond your comfort zone and grow. Stay ambitious, work hard, and do not settle for anything less than what you deserve.

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MONA HAMMADI Senior Associate DLA Piper

The Sustainabilist

What aspects of DLA Piper’s gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

I am particularly proud of DLA Piper’s Leadership Alliance for Women Gender Balance Network (LAW), which is open to both men and women and cements diversity, inclusion and equality in how we do business and interact with our clients.

The programme aims to strengthen the influence, empowerment, leadership and voices of women and encourage greater gender balance within the workforce.

We regularly hold client-facing and internal initiatives for the Middle East, which focus on challenging cultural norms, myths, and misconceptions to break gender stereotypes. Our LAW programmes provide training around gender empowerment and bring to the foreground important workplace issues, such as ‘imposter syndrome’. In 2021, we have implemented a Middle East mentoring programme, set key D&I goals, and hosted a series of live webinars highlighting the fantastic female talent we have in the firm.

For me, the great thing about LAW is that it has not only provided a platform to voice issues around gender balance, but has offered guidance on practical steps to overcome challenges. As a result, conversations around gender empowerment have echoed across the firm and within our wider network.

I think it is essential to continue this dialogue around gender balance and diversity. The importance of an inclusive environment with individuals being treated equally, regardless of gender or background, cannot be understated and I’m proud to work for a firm where these issues are being taken seriously.

What is DLA Piper’s vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve DLA Piper’s sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

Sustainability and ESG issues are high on the agenda for both our clients and our firm.

In 2020, we appointed International Heads of Sustainability and ESG to drive forward our ESG strategy and look at how we can better work with clients to confront the complex strategic, legal, financial and operational opportunities arising as businesses seek to reduce their carbonfootprint.

Success is not changing the world by yourself. It is also the ability or having the opportunity to redefine or support the journey or part of any woman’s journey.

Our focus is on helping our clients and communities on their transition towards a more sustainable future. This requires our offering to be spread across ESG issues and to recognise that different industries face unique opportunities and challenges.

Internally, we are also setting ambitious targets, being one of the few law firms who have signed up to “Science Based Targets”, a joint initiative of CDP, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the World

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Resources Institute (WRI) and WWF. We’re also conducting a materiality assessment, among many other global initiatives.

Another important pillar of our sustainability strategy is our focus on pro bono. We have the largest, by far, pro bono offering of any international law firm and we’re increasingly working with our clients to ensure that it’s structured around the issues that fall under each of the E, the S and the G. What advice would you give to women who are seeking leadership roles?

What is often overlooked when pursuing a leadership role is the importance of transforming the lives of others on your way to achieving that goal. Once you do achieve a leadership role, continue to transform the lives of other women in every aspect of your life and don’t limit this to your workplace. Success is not changing the world by yourself. It is also the ability or having the opportunity to redefine or support the journey or part of any woman’s journey.

We may also come across setbacks in the course of attaining a leadership role and that is not a failure. Our role may transform into one that is in support of another woman’s leadership journey or action that leads to her success. You don’t necessarily have to have the leadership role to behave like or display the attributes of a leader.

This reminds me of the commonly repeated phrase “it takes a village”. I agree – it is a cliché. It may be that the phrase resonates with me because I am new mother.

However, it doesn’t change the message.

We are more powerful when we support each other. We are more powerful when we are united.

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FLORENCE BULTE

Chief Sustainability Officer Chalhoub Group

What is Chalhoub Group's vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve the Group's sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

At Chalhoub Group, as a family business, sustainability is not only part of what we do, it has always been a way of life and at the heart of how we run our business. Our sustainability strategy has been developed through rigorous stakeholder engagement, making sure it is relevant to our business and integrated in our Group core strategy.

As a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and reporting publicly since 2014, our strategy is aligned with the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as regional sustainability agendas.

Ensuring we reach our sustainability goals allows us to improve our sustainability performance across our value chain, while positively impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and communities.

Our sustainability objectives are based on the Group material issues and aligned with SDGs. They consequently are distributed across our sustainability pillars, Leadership, People, Planet, Partners, Impact and scaled down for implementation with the support of relevant business units across the Group.

This allows us to drive a local impact on the SDGs in all the countries we operate.

The Sustainabilist

It is important to note that in the end all SDGs are interconnected so by having a clear focus on some, more relevant for the Group, it will indirectly contribute towards achieving other SDGs. As an example, and to illustrate our sustainability goals, let me highlight some of our points of focus and related projects.

Luxury Retailers play a crucial role in balancing their contribution to meeting expected increase in consumer demand and ensuring sustainable use of our natural resources. In that context, we focus our strategy on aligning with responsible production and consumption (SDG 12) & Climate Action (SDG 13). To support this vision, we have several ongoing programmes. One is our shift to renewable energy agenda aiming at installing solar panels across our facilities. We are completing the 4th phase of installation in our premises in the UAE. For our retail network of stores, in 2017, we developed and launched our internal auditing tool, Store Towards Earth Protection (STEP), to assess our stores’ carbon footprint across the region, which is a great tool to make the necessary upgrades if required.

When it comes to our People pillar, we align our direction with Gender Equality (SDG5) & reduce inequalities (SDG 10). We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and to reduce inequalities. Part of our “One Team One Culture” project, we have a specific focus on Inclusion & Diversity and developed programmes customised for the Group, such as ‘Empowered to work” to accelerate and facilitate the integration of people with determination. We have created Inclusion and Diversity dashboards which are shared and monitored by our managers and people partners allowing us to make data driven decisions. This year, we will launch a Women Leadership Programme to support women accessing senior position roles in the Group, with an objective of achieving gender parity.

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Ensuring we reach our sustainability goals allows us to improve our sustainability performance across our value chain, while positively impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and communities.

In alignment with our Group values and vision, we are supporting Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16).

It is crucial for us to establish trust, transparency, and ethical business standards with our partners and stakeholders. In 2020, we updated our Code of Ethics and launched a third party Speak Up platform to allow our team members to raise ethical breaches they might come across. We have built a strong compliance framework to manage cases and are committed to communicate on the subject in our 2020 Sustainability Report in full transparency.

As a last example, I would like to mention our support to Quality Education (SDG4).

We strongly believe in the potential of education to meaningfully impact communities. We have a strong focus on education for our team members through our Retail Academy, Leadership Programmes, and Chalhoub University, and externally, through our Chalhoub Impact strategy, we support primary education, university students, and entrepreneurship.

Our team members are involved in every step of the way, all the projects are done in collaboration with the relevant subject

experts or operational business units, and scaled down to every individual. For example, when it comes to Inclusion and Diversity, we have a committee that is guarding the strategy and ensuring its implementation and ongoing monitoring.

It is driven by an I&D champion and rolled out by I&D ambassadors throughout the group and across countries.

We are also giving our team members regionally regular opportunities to engage and give back to the communities. Last year, over 5,000 of our team members were engaged in community giving activities, supporting over 22,0000 people in need, and in the midst of a very challenging pandemic situation.

The pandemic presented many challenges this year. However, for sustainability, it has also presented many opportunities.

Our people’s dedication to the long-term vision of our Group has meant that we have continued to make progress in issues like human rights, diversity and inclusion, carbon emissions reduction, and renewable energy integration.

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TANIA JARJUR general counsel

YELLOW DOOR ENERGY

The Sustainabilist

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Never give up. Embrace your power as a woman and your femininity to mold your leadership style.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment has a massive breadth. The essence is providing women with autonomy and ability to improve their political, social, health, and economic status. It means encouraging women’s selfworth, independence, and ability to make a change and influence decision-making.

This encompasses equal opportunities for education, work, compensation, leadership roles, and eliminating the inequalities between men and women. Everyone needs to participate, men and women, to enable changes in regulation, government measures, and private sector initiatives.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

Every region has room to grow in addressing women’s empowerment, but each region has a different starting point.

All countries could do more to address the pay gap, inequalities within the education sector, small number of women in leadership positions, and violence against women. However, in some regions, women are already more encouraged to be financially independent and careerfocussed. That means their basic needs for safety, shelter, and education are met. In other regions, however, women do not even have that. When their access to the basic needs is restricted, then the definition of empowerment and equal rights differs. If the starting point is different, then the path and required initiatives will be focussed on entirely different aspects.

What have been your challenges navigating leadership roles as a woman in the Middle East and abroad?

I have always worked in very male dominated industries where there are very few women paving the way. I am often the only woman in the room, which makes most men uncomfortable. When I speak, the men often look to my male colleagues to confirm my advice before they agree. It is still an uphill battle to have men accept women in leadership positions speaking with authority.

This reminds me of a story that took place at the beginning of my career. I once attended a negotiation at a military campsite that did not have a female bathroom. After six hours of discussions and afraid to ask to disrupt the status quo, we had to request help from senior personnel to ensure I had access to a private bathroom. The fact that they did not even consider building a female bathroom on site was beyond shocking to me. It was mortifying for a second-year associate, but something I laugh at now.

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

A major challenge is the lack of flexibility in the workplace culture. Prior to this pandemic, there was a widespread belief that if an employee was not in the office for eight or nine hours straight, they were not productive or valuable. With women often carrying the heaviest home care load, this work expectation is impossible to manage. As a result, women tend to

step down from demanding leadership positions to prioritise family life. In one of my previous firms, there was a saying that a woman either makes a good partner, or a good mother. The male-dominated firm lacked flexibility and creativity to support mothers in leadership. This led to very few female partners, and consistent discrimination against promoting working mothers. Allowing flexible working hours and encouraging men to participate in home care could change the playing field.

I do believe this pandemic has shown most companies that this is possible.

What advice would you give to women who are seeking out leadership roles?

Never give up. Embrace your power as a woman and your femininity to mold your leadership style. So often we think we must act like men to get to the top. By doing so, we can lose our authenticity and deprive our teams, colleagues, and ourselves of our true power. As women, we have an incredible gift to show and shape the world. We bring a different perspective that can create a real change. Embracing our essence is key to our growth.

Most people want to advance women in the workplace, but do not know how.

What would you advise to those people?

I would start by trying to understand the needs of women before investing in a specific initiative. A great book called “Invisible Women – Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” by Caroline Criado Perez, discusses the data gap that fuels the systemic gender inequalities in economic

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Tania Jarjur and the Yellow Door Energy team celebrate the successful closing of a 31.2$ million loan with leading lenders

development, education, public policy, etc. Most programmes are based on studies designed by and mostly for men, with the idea that it can easily be replicated for women with minor tweaks here and there.

“Gender blindness” creates a “one-size fits all” approach, which is quite detrimental to the health and progress of women. Truly understanding what women in different

environments need is key to implementing effective policies.

How would you describe Yellow Door Energy culture regarding women in leadership?

Yellow Door Energy truly values diversity in terms of skill sets, gender, ethnicities, etc. The company makes a conscious effort

TANIA JARJUR YOUR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PARTNER

‫ﺷﺮﻳﻜﻜﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻄﺎﻗﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺪاﻣﺔ‬

GENERAL COUNSEL, YELLOW DOOR ENERGY As the General Counsel of Yellow Door Energy, Tania provides legal support for the company’s operations in all markets. Prior to joining Yellow Door Energy, Tania worked with major US law firms on corporate and project development in the United States and the MENA region. She has negotiated power projects ranging from 10MW to 400MW with various technologies and fuel supplies, including solar, wind, hydro, and natural gas.

Tania is admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar, holds a JD of Law from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, and a Business Administration degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

to encourage the hiring, promotion, and growth of women in our company. We are encouraged to speak our mind, express our ideas, and actively participate in solutions. Of course, there is always space for improvement, but overall, I am proud to be part of a company that actively engages in women’s empowerment and development.

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What aspects of Standard Chartered gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

Standard Chartered has continually championed initiatives that aim to ignite a generation of capable female leaders and entrepreneurs. For us, the journey to gender equality starts from the ground up.

Our most prominent effort to promote equal opportunity is our global Women in Tech programme, which aims to support female-led start-ups and entrepreneurs in the UAE and beyond. We launched the accelerator programme for the second consecutive year in 2020, having adapted our curriculum to give a third cohort of startups the tools they need to navigate the unprecedented challenges incited by the COVID-19 pandemic through various learning modules and expert resources.

The initiative has seen an incredible impact as the startups from previous cycles have raised USD 6 million in funding.

How has Standard Chartered encouraged and benefited from women in leadership roles and management positions?

Derived from our brand promise, ‘Here for good’, we believe that inclusion is an organisational strength, which in turn will have a positive impact on key aspects of the banks’ performance. We pride ourselves for being one of few global banks that is committed to improving gender balance and empowering women across the entire spectrum of the organisation, as we recognise that it is no longer a business issue, but a moral one.

ROLA ABU MANNEH Chief Executive Officer Standard Chartered

The Sustainabilist

Government authorities must be held responsible for creating inclusive and progressive frameworks that enforce measures that foster gender equality in the workplace.

As part of our new Sustainability Aspirations for People, we have set ourselves a new target to have 35% female representation in senior roles by 2024.

14 of our biggest markets have female CEOs at the helm, including in China, Hong Kong, India, and the UAE. With a workforce close to 90,000 collaborating across 59 markets, our unique diversity is a powerful asset, and we remain focussed on unlocking its fullest potential.

What does Standard Chartered do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

We are always looking at improving our workplace by introducing wellness, worklife balance and career opportunities, aiming to be the country’s employer of choice for UAE Nationals and expats alike.

In 2020, we’ve accelerated getting the right tools in place: Sharpening our focus on our flexible and wellbeing policies; upgrading our Employee Assistance Programme; creating practical toolkits;

and training more mental health first aiders. We’ve started the global roll-out of our Realise Your Potential workshops, part of the Human Skills Academy. We’ve also forged a tie-up with different digital platforms to give our staff access to an online wellbeing platform where they can take part in on-demand fitness – such as “Switch”, or the mental and personal development sessions, such as the recently launched platform “Unmind”.

Additionally, we have taken the initiative of increasing maternity leave days from 90 calendar days to 140 calendar days, with new fathers getting 10 days that can be used anytime in the first year – it’s about equality, afterall.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

Despite the recent progress, women still have to face many complex challenges that falter their ability to move up the ladder.

While we have made significant strides for women in the workplace over the years, there is still much to be done – especially when looking at women in senior leadership roles.

In the MENA region, the female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) has been rising, but still sits around 21.7%, one of the lowest in the world. Additionally, the gender pay gap continues to be a particularly significant obstacle that women in the region are facing, as it was found that on average, women in the MENA region earn 70% of men’s wages.

The challenges women face in the GCC are that of women internationally – their corporate culture will oftentimes direct an unconscious bias towards them that hampers their ability to succeed or progress. What’s more, one of the biggest obstacles that women face is found very early on, at the first step up to a management position.

In your opinion, are programmes and initiatives enough to close the gender gap?

As we gear up to the road to 2030, we can expect increased awareness and efforts to achieving the UN’s SDGs, especially around gender equality.

Unfortunately, awareness does not mean progress and what we really need is action. In order to break the ‘glass ceiling’ and support women in the path to equal opportunity and a spot in the boardroom, multiple parties need to take responsibility and, most importantly, take action.

Government authorities must be held responsible for creating inclusive and progressive frameworks that enforce measures that foster gender equality in the workplace. In this sense, I am proud to say that the UAE is paving the way. Both public authorities and private entities in the UAE have championed the introduction of several leading initiatives, programmes, and agreements which foster gender equality. The efforts of organisations in the UAE towards this central goal is clear in initiatives such as the UAE’s Vision 2021, MorEquity, and the Dubai Gender Balance Council.

In what ways are you and Standard Chartered helping to create leaders?

We pride ourselves for being one of few global banks that is committed to improving gender balance and empowering women across the entire spectrum of the organisation, as we recognise that it is no longer a business issue, but a moral one.

Throughout my career, I have championed women empowerment and female entrepreneurship through various initiatives and have striven to promote a gender equal culture across our workplace. I will continue to exercise my position in service of women so that they are not hindered by corporate hurdles or stereotypes, and are able to achieve their full potential.

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DR SAEEDA JAFFAR Managing Director, Head of Middle East Alvarez and Marsal

The Sustainabilist

What aspects of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

At A&M, we believe in delivering value and creating impact. We know that diverse teams are critical to achieving this – we get to better, more holistic solutions if the teams are diverse. Therefore, gender empowerment is not only core to results, it is also part of our core values. Every day we strive to do more to ensure that we continue to push gender empowerment one step further. We have several programmes across the firm aimed at recruiting, developing, and training women.

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

I believe women's empowerment means that women have a right to make a choice.

Whether she chooses to stay at home and raise a family, or she chooses to go out and have a high-power career, or she decides to go back and forth depending on different points in her life. Women have the right to choose the future they want and should be respected for their decisions.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

I believe that the issue goes beyond women's empowerment; it is about diversity and inclusion. We are all working towards the same goal which is to provide qualified and talented people as many opportunities as possible so we can collectively move forward. A few things vary from region to region – our starting points and our paths in terms of our next steps and priorities vary across the world.

At the end, however, we are all headed towards the same destination, which is to provide talented people with the right opportunities to deliver the greatest value to tackle the most challenging and pressing issues we face globally.

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Enjoy the journey. It is not just about the destination.

Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

Profitability and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. There is plenty of research available that proves that happy employees and happy customers tend to be more engaged, and it eventually leads to profitability as they will be loyal to the organisation, spend more, and raise brand awareness by word of mouth. There might be some situations where short-term or opportunity-specific gains might be foregone, but in the long term, it can be a financially-winning approach.

What advice would you give to women who are seeking out leadership roles?

My advice to women seeking leadership roles is to work hard and make sure that while you are good at your job, you also work on building visibility and a platform for yourself. It is important that we become our own ambassadors. We need to proactively shape our roles and create our own journey. But most importantly, enjoy the journey. It is not just about the destination.

A growing number of governments, organisations, and businesses across the world want to advance women in the workplace, but not always know how.

What would you advise them?

Firstly, there needs to be a clarity in vision. Be clear about what your goals are and what you want to achieve. There is no one solution that fits all, therefore, from an integrational perspective, once you decipher your end goal, there needs to be a concise plan on how to achieve it which can be challenging. This is a broad societal change, and it should be treated as such. Secondly, there is a need for commitment. Senior officials at organisations, governments and businesses need to demonstrate a clear commitment through their actions. Lastly, identify brand ambassadors within your organisation and recognise and celebrate these champions. It is important to put these brand ambassadors forward, highlight their achievements, and voice their stories. Organisations need to show a clear commitment to women empowerment and diversity, and encourage an open and thoughtful dialogue that leads to change.

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DR SYHAM BENTOUATI Founder and Managing Director NAFAS International

The Sustainabilist

I feel that the biggest challenges facing women in leadership are linked to the fact that they are expected to “prove themselves Do you believe that profitability and environmental sustainability can coexist?

I strongly believe that sustainability makes sense not only from an environmental or social aspect, but also from a business perspective and, as such, that profitability and environmental sustainability can definitely co-exist when done properly.

based rather than a number of hours at the office basis, which gives the women in the company freedom to arrange their work and personal tasks in such a way to have a good home-work balance. I believe this is a more practical way of empowering women than a string of programmes and initiatives that are not always ideal to close the gender gap.

What is NAFAS International vision towards sustainability, and what steps are being taken to achieve the company's sustainability goals? How do you engage employees in sustainability efforts?

As consultants, we strive to include sustainability in all our projects, and we ensure that all stakeholders buy into it and are onboard with us. We make it our mission to spread awareness about all aspects of sustainability throughout our engagements with our clients.

Do you believe in affirmative action policies? Does NAFAS International have any affirmative action policies in place?

For me, women empowerment is not about affirmative action, which can sometimes have negative effects. It is rather about removing hurdles and giving the women a fair chance to compete with men. It is practiced in various countries at various levels, from the serious to the “tick in the box” or a PR exercise. This difference is not necessarily geographically or culturally based.

How would you describe NAFAS International culture regarding women in leadership?

From a female angle, I run a 100% female company where we have a culture of mutual support and encouragement. I create an environment where my staff can learn and thrive and provide them the coaching necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow, be it team-based or one-to-one mentoring. I extend this coaching to other young females at an early stage of their careers whether through internships or as part of specific projects.

What does NAFAS International do to help its employees maintain a healthy work-life balance?

At NAFAS, we work on a deliverable-

What are the challenges facing women in leadership?

I feel that the biggest challenges facing women in leadership are linked to the fact that they are expected to “prove themselves” and to deliver more than their male counterparts. They are also labelled as “too tough” just because they act as leaders, a label not given to men in a similar situation.

How would you say tackling women’s empowerment changes from region to region? How is it the same?

Having lived in the West and in the Middle East, I don’t see regional differences as such, but maybe from country to country.

For example, in Oman, where I live and work, women have senior leadership positions across all sectors in the private and government organisations, including very technical positions, and they do not have particular issues linked to their gender. Maybe only things like limitations on networking outside of working hours as men and women do not mix very much, and a lot of the business is done on the golf course or what is called Diwaniya in the GCC (male gathering place to socialise).

This is similar to the golf courses and the gentlemen’s club in the UK for example.

A growing number of governments, organisations, and businesses across the world want to advance women in the workplace, but not always know how.

What would you advise them?

I am confident that organisations that are really interested in supporting women to access leadership positions can succeed by removing unnecessary hurdles from their way and by giving them flexibility to help them better manage their work and home lives. Also, as much as possible, provide facilities to support them, such as close-by nurseries.

What advice would you give to women who are seeking out leadership roles?

For women seeking leadership positions, I say: Be yourself! You do not need to become a man to be a good leader. Also, do not try to be a wonder woman, she is a fictional character. Use all the support available to you and help your fellow women.

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Ultimately, the key to improving diversity and gender balance in any organisation is having accountable leaders and support from senior management

GURMEET KAUR Partner at Pinsent Masons, and Communications and Marketing Director, MESIA

The Sustainabilist

What aspects of Pinsent Mason's gender empowerment programmes are you most proud of and why?

At Pinsent Masons, we strongly believe that having a variety of people is far better for our clients and our firm because it means there is a variety of perspectives on offer which helps us make better decisions and offer innovative solutions for out clients. Research shows that businesses with a better gender balance in the senior management team are financially more successful .

Pinsent Masons started the SKY programme to achieve gender balance in 2013. Since then, we have achieved amazing progress with more than 25% women in partnership , 44% female membership on our board, and 44% of our internal promotions to 'partner' in the last three years have been women.

We identified a number of barriers to the progression of women into senior leadership position, such as the lack of role models, the need for flexible working, lack of clarity and transparency around career paths and promotion, perception of a culture of presentism and the need for more structured support to overcome disruption to career progression caused by periods of maternity leave.

We established a number of programmes to address this. For example, we now track our talent pipelines more systematically and produce gender balanced promotion shortlists (reflecting male and female ratios) with a comply or explain approach so the group leader will need to justify promotion lists that do not reflect the gender balance. In this regard, our external recruitment agencies have also been briefed and instructed to present gender balanced shortlists for lateral hires.

We have a programme of inclusive behaviour training across the business to tackle unconscious bias. These

programmes help leaders understand the different perspective of their team, taking into account different aspects, such as upbringing and culture.

We have introduced female perspective into management through reciprocal mentoring. The reciprocal mentoring programme is one where the mentor and mentee has the opportunity to learn from each other in order to better understand the other's perspective. One example is where a female lawyer mentee is paired with a male partner mentor and by having to 'step into her shoes' for a day, he was able to better appreciate the challenges of balancing work and career responsibilities at home.

As a result of some of the perspectives, the firm had started a few years ago to implement agile working policies which were far reaching and well ahead of a number our peers, and this put us in good stead to deal with the COVID-9 pandemic when it arrived as we were already equipped to deal with a an agile workforce.

We also introduced online and coaching support for women and men who take parental leave to minimise the disruption that might cause to career progress, and men and women are supported through a Shared Parental Leave Policy.

In addition to gender, we have also established a number of employee networks to bring people together into communities to help them feel connected and respected and also to help the firm understand their perspective and bring them into the decision making for the firm and our clients. Some examples of these networks include FREE (Faith, Race, Ethnicity and Equality), Disability & Well Being and Family Support Networks.

The networks host a number of interesting events and programmes, celebrating

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different faiths, ethnicity, and engaging with partner schools and organisations in order to increase accessibility to the legal profession for young people from diverse backgrounds. One example is the SUN programme which was rolled out in various offices. This was to identify the barriers to recruitment and career progression which may be faced by people due to their race, colour, or ethnicity. The aim of SUN is to create a better balance of race and ethnicity within our workforce and a better workplace for all.

Following a comprehensive consultation, we have developed a series of recommendations to be implemented across the firm, including Cultural Confidence training and a Cultural Competence programme, which focuses on upskilling people to better understand diversity elements across our global business. Additional actions include Mentoring, Role Models programmes, and an interesting short film called "Talk about race" to raise awareness across the firm.

Ultimately, the key to improving diversity and gender balance in any organisation is having accountable leaders and support from senior management. At Pinsent Masons, we consider the key to creating accountability is not about establishing quotas, but about creating a culture where managers know they will be challenged to justify their decisions based on diversity data. The more leaders know they will be challenged on this, the more they will be testing their own decisions and that of others and questioning their assumptions.

This avoids lazy thinking and encourages managers to properly consider the full cohort rather than a select few which will ultimately lead to narrowing the diversity gap.

At talabat, we challenge biases, we challenge pay gaps, we challenge inequalities.

At talabat, you can be you.