Creating awareness, encouraging discussions and driving sustainable actions regarding diversity is among the Council’s top priorities in line with UAE Vision 2021

Dubai, UAE, 29 February, 2020: du, from the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) Women Council has announced its rebranding as the du Gender Balance Council, aiming  for greater inclusion and equal representation of both genders within the Organisation. 

Established in January 2019 as part of du’s commitment to promote gender diversity in a balanced workplace, the Council creates awareness, encourages discussions and drives sustainable actions. It also continues its endeavors to build and maintain an environment that supports equality and empowers women throughout their professional development. This vision aligns with the National Agenda, which aims for the UAE to become one of the world's top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021. 

Driving towards a more gender balanced workplace

 Johan Dennelind, CEO, EITC said: “As a leading UAE company that supports diversity in the workplace, we are proud to be setting an example with regards to our proactive approach to achieve a balanced working environment. It is essential to have both male and female leaders who jointly drive our company’s success. We are proud to embark on a journey of implementing best practices and processes that empower women, drive equality, and ensure opportunities within our company are evenly distributed between  genders. This aligns with the UAE Vision 2021, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to the national efforts. ” 

Furthermore, Dennelind has saluted the efforts of Ehab Hassan, Chief Human Resources Officer, EITC, for initiating and supporting the formation of the du Gender Balance Council.

Hanan Ahmed, Senior Vice President – Corporate Governance and Company Secretary at du and Chairwoman of du’s Gender Balance Council, said: “Changes to the Council including its rebranding are very important as we strive towards inclusion and equal representation within all du departments. Speaking from personal experience, du has always celebrated the success of its employees, provided support, and presented an array of opportunities to assist them in their professional development. We are excited about what we can achieve with a diverse workforce moving forward, and will continue to build the platform to help employees realize their professional ambitions and fulfill their potential.”

Fostering the next generation of female leaders

As an organization that strongly supports diversity and inclusivity, the Gender Balance Council was launched with the aim of du being recognized as a leading company in gender balance across the UAE.  The Council will continue working across four main pillars – Leadership Mindset, Behavior and Culture, Polices and Structure, and Internal and External Communication. It will be pursuing the gender balance agenda and performance throughout EITC by increasing female presence, promoting female leadership positions, and fostering the next generation of female leadership across EITC. 

The Council has created a compelling roadmap, focusing on several key building blocks required for sustainable progress moving forward. These include leadership commitment, culture change, talent cycle, policies, structures, practices, gender balance communication, and dashboards. In the past year, the Council has also been recognized for its significant efforts towards driving the UAE leadership’s vision for gender diversity in the workplace. It was awarded Entrepreneur Middle East’s “Best Company in Women Empowerment Award” at The RiiSE Conference: Achieving Women Forum, emphasizing the company’s gender balance strategy and encouragement for women to embark on careers in the ICT industry. 

Members of du’s Gender Balance Council include: Hanan Ahmad, Senior Vice President - Corporate Governance & Company Secretary and du Gender Balance Council Chairwoman, Dr. Alia Al Serkal, Vice President – People Learning & Growth and Vice Chairwoman of the Council, Abdulwahed Juma, Executive Vice President Brand & Communications, Charles Abban, Director Legal Counsel Dr. Mansoor Habib, Head of EITC Happiness & Tolerance, Jennifer Gonzalez, Manager ICT Partner Management, Mona Gulaid, Senior Manager Enterprise Process Management & QA, and Rana Hajir Head of Consumer Services Governance & Planning.