Michelin, Schneider Electric And Suez Partner To Address And Promote Gender Equality In Business And Industry
Michelin, Schneider Electric and Suez, three major international companies with a strong local footprint, came together for International Women’s Day to host a series of virtual panels that sought to holistically address the issue of gender equality in business and industry. Over a dozen panelists addressed issues as diverse as resilience in challenging times, breaking stereotypes in the workplace, and early career perspectives.
The sessions, which were held for and attended by several hundred regional employees of the three companies, sought to promote debate about how to attract and retain women in industries that are often seen as male dominated. According to UNESCO, more women in Arab countries are graduating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based subjects than in Europe or America, and the aim of the talks was to share insights and experiences about how companies can both help women find exciting, industry-based careers as well as retain them in the workforce.
“At Michelin, Diversity is not just a word, but it is one of our core values of respect for people – no matter their background, age or gender. It is our individual and collective responsibility to give importance to initiatives that drive Feminization at the workplace. This is why, the Michelin Group has established a Diversity and Inclusion network that brings together key role players to ensure that we move from ambition to action and meet our purpose of giving everyone a Better Way Forward. In AIM Region, we are very pleased to be a part of the initiative co-organized by Michelin, Schneider Electric and Suez on International Women’s Day, focusing on important themes touching women from different backgrounds.” said Marc Pasquet, President – Michelin Africa, India and Middle East.
“At Schneider Women, gender equity is a global priority for us. More diversity and greater inclusion have been proved over and over again to be the basis for better business, and gender balance is essential to how we conduct business. It’s incumbent on us to share our lessons and experiences with others, as well as learn from them as we seek to become an inclusive company where women leaders are empowered, enabled and visible in the organization,” said Natalja Kissina, Vice President Human Resources for the Gulf at Schneider Electric and one of the organizers of the event.
“I am very pleased of this joint initiative conducted with Michelin and Schneider Electric. It is a great opportunity for all of usto be inspired by insightful women sharing perspectives and experiences in their respective fields.At SUEZ, promoting gender diversity is one of the Group’s priority. As a regional signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, we aim to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment across Middle East & Central Asia. Following our ambitious regional roadmap, we are pursuing our action plan to increase the number of women in our workforce, encouraging young women to enter our industry through internships or graduate programs for example.” commented Cyril Courjaret, CEO of SUEZ Middle East & Central Asia.
For more information, please contact:
Michelin – Hiranmay Choudhury – hiranmay.choudhury@michelin.com
Schneider Electric– Alex Mal’ouf – alex.malouf@se.com
SUEZ –Hortense Meunier – hortense.meunier@suez.com
