Mona Hammadi, DLA Piper

MONA HAMMADI

Senior Associate

DLA Piper

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 carbon footprint.

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 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 does women’s empowerment mean to you?

Women’s empowerment is a process requiring active, positive, and conscious efforts to be made to obtain full and equal participation of women in our societies in order to achieve a sustainable economy and environment where roles are defined by our capabilities and not by our gender. It is the right of women to have a choice, and a voice, and to be heard. Importantly, it is a collective responsibility and not limited to a time and place. Unless women are empowered, they will not have the opportunity, right or choice to participate in the economic, social, political, and environmental development of our countries.

The empowerment of women is bred in our homes before it ever becomes part of our workplace. Respectful conversations about empowering women should take place with our partners, children, family, and friends. It must become integrated into our lives and what we do every day. It is only then that we will start to see its effects trickle into other areas of our society.

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 a 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.