Page 30 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

communities. Zain Vice-Chairman and over the years in establishing Zain as the Qualitative and quantitative targets have
Group CEO, Bader Al-Kharafi commented, regional leader in this important area. We been embedded to ensure measurable
“Publishing our 10th sustainability report have a mission to work to leave the world a metrics are set to assess and track the
is a significant achievement, and along better place than we found it and leave no progress of Zain’s sustainability-related
with over 7,500 Zainers, we are extremely one behind.” activities. Examples of the some of Zain’s
proud of the programs and initiatives we A new five-year Corporate Sustainability 2020-2025 targets include:
have implemented, and all the lives we strategy (2020-2025) • Empower 16 million children and youth
have impacted for the better. The ongoing Zain’s newly established Corporate across Zain’s footprint
COVID-19 pandemic has brought the Sustainability strategy is centered on four • Foster women in STEM-related fields
meaning of that mission sharply into focus pillars which are: Climate Change, Social • Supporting People with Disabilities and
and offers a profound reminder that beyond Business, Inclusion and Generation Youth. increase access
our commercial activities and providing The strategy was created by assessing the • Equip 943,000 children with digital
essential connectivity, vitally important as materiality of sustainability-related topics literacy skills
they are, there are lives at stake, requiring on the business and the value it creates • Reach 891,000 unemployed youth
all our best efforts to protect and save.” for society. By balancing financial returns • Target 70% of Group Suppliers and 50%
Al-Kharafi continued, “I extend my thanks and social values, this strategic approach of local suppliers to complete Zain’s
to all the sustainability teams across aims to establish purpose driven activities social and environmental related sell-
our operations for working so tirelessly centered on Meaningful Connectivity. assessment questionnaire

Zain Group Publishes Insightful Report on ‘Women in Technology- Bridging

the Gender Gap in STEM Fields’

Zain Group, the leading mobile telecom to gender biases in STEM; innovation in
innovator in seven markets across the Al-Kharafi added, “Since the launch of STEM; developing STEM skills to achieve
Middle East and Africa, announces our Gender Diversity initiative, we have financial inclusion; and COVID-19 and
the publication of its annual thought invested in certifying over 100 females women in technology. Core areas of
leadership report, this year entitled, within Zain on the fundamentals of Data discussion and highlights in the report
Women in Technology - Bridging the Analytics and Science. These colleagues include:
Gender Gap in STEM Fields. It provides then went on to take part in our groupwide
insights on the gender gap in science, 12-hour datathon in April 2020 at the Aspects of Gender Disparity
technology, engineering, and math height of pandemic, and are now part of Women account for half of the world’s
(STEM), highlighting the impact on socio- a talent pool of resources we tap into for population and are fundamental to
economic development across the board. tech related projects across our footprint. ensuring a sustainable future and peaceful
The release of the report, which coincides WE will continue to inspire learning societies. There has been some progress
with International Women’s Day, explores through practice, and the engagement in made towards achieving a more equal
several important issues regarding this datathon has proven the resilience of society, however, there is still a long way
the cause, nature, and effects of the our talented pool of women in STEM.” to go and according to the UN, the gender
challenges faced by women as related to gap is considered “the unfinished business
STEM, and the prejudices they face even Jennifer Suleiman, Zain Group’s Chief of our time.”
upon entering professions related to the Sustainability Officer said, “Zain has a
subject area. The publication delves into long list of activities aimed at reducing The Gender Digital Divide
aspects of gender disparity; the gender the gender gap. The COVID-19 pandemic Studies have shown that the gender
digital divide; literacy and STEM education; has highlighted glaring inequalities across digital divide is due to the lack of access
as well as employment equality. Bader Al- so many aspects of modern life, and the females have in attaining digital skillsets
Kharafi, Zain Vice-Chairman and Group plight of females in STEM-related fields that can help them advance and develop
CEO commented, "The role of women is one of them. The timing and topic in the area. Additionally, women are more
in tech needs to be increased. It is that of our latest report that coincides with likely to represent lower income segments,
simple. Zain is continually driving equality International Women’s Day couldn’t be leaving them unable to afford and purchase
programs, recognizing the need to push more appropriate, and we hope it forces digital software and hardware. Glaring
an agenda that is cohesive, inclusive, and people to recognize the state of play when discrepancies exist with regards females
fair to all. This thought leadership report is it comes to gender exclusion and the steps gaining access to digital tools, including:
another tool to highlight the extent of the required to rectify it.” • 165 million fewer women own a mobile
exclusion of women from STEM-related phone in comparison to men
fields, and what is needed to close the This latest and insightful thought • Globally, 433 million women are
gender gap across the region and beyond.” leadership encompasses issues related unconnected

30 FEB-MAR 2021