Rola Abu Manneh, Standard Chartered

ROLA ABU MANNEH

Chief Executive Officer

Standard Chartered

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.

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 focused on unlocking its fullest potential.

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

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.