Social enterprise Evolvin' Women becomes latest DMCC CSR license holder

Evolvin’ Women, a social enterprise dedicated to the advancement and skills development of women in developing areas, has announced its new partnership with DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), in which the company has become the latest recipient of the a DMCC CSR license, and a member of the world’s leading free zone.

The two-year partnership includes an office space next to the DMCC headquarters, Almas Tower, located in the vibrant Jumeirah Lakes Towers community, as well as participation and support from DMCC in Evolvin’ Women’s Mentoring Programme.

Partnering with a number of governments in developing countries, Evolvin’ Women works to identify specific areas with a high rate of female unemployment, where circumstances have prohibited their access to professional skills development and to full-time job opportunities. The company then works closely with the private sector in the UAE as an incubator for the women to progress and enhance their skills in the hospitality field, helping them finds suitable jobs, and even start their own business ventures in their home countries. 

Assia Riccio, Founder of Evolvin’ Women said: “We are delighted to be partnering with DMCC and could not be more pleased to receive a CSR license with the free zone. DMCC is setting the example on how free zones can become significant players in the support of impact organisations. This is why we have chosen them as our partner and look forward to the impactful efforts we will collectively make to further the advancement of women.”

DMCC's Sustainability Strategy focuses on creating social impact in the fields of Gender Equality, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities &and Communities, and Responsible Consumption & Production.

Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC said: “Organisations that tackle critical ESG issues are playing an increasingly important part in today’s society, and DMCC is in a privileged position to be able support them. As such, we are proud to welcome Evolvin’ Women on board as a CSR member. The DMCC CSR License is testament to our sustainability strategy in action and is designed to enable the success of entities addressing social issues across the world. Through this partnership, we are able to use our resources and facilities to support the social impact efforts of Evolvin’ Women and in turn, provide platforms in which women with limited access to skills development can thrive.”

Ahmad Hamza, Executive Director – Free Zone, DMCC added: "We are proud to welcome Evolvin’ Women as the latest Social Enterprise company under our CSR license. As part of our mandate, we strive to make a difference across our society, as does our community and through welcoming CSR members, we hope to make our community an even more attractive place to live, work and thrive while making 'that' difference."

Commencing in September 2020, Evolvin’ Women’s Mentoring Programme is going to be providing participants with the guidance and support needed to improve their skills based on a personal Self-Assessment tool and development needs analysis. Mentors will recommend adequate training and resources available through the Evolvin’ Women online mentoring platform.

As part of the agreement with Evolvin’ Women, DMCC team members will commit to two hours of virtual mentoring each month. Additionally, DMCC’s senior executives will deliver a series of talks for participants at future roundtables and networking events.

“Due to covid-19 we had to delay the beginning of the mentoring programme. However, having an office and a license to operate in DMCC has already brought so much value to Evolvin’ Women by raising the profile of the organisation when engaging with different governments. As a result, we successfully passed a due diligence check with the General Consulate of The Republic of Rwanda in Dubai, to be able to launch our programme in Rwanda in February 2020”, Assia continued.

Evolvin’ Women has been included as one of DMCC’s initiatives in the Free Zone’s latest Social Impact Report, which can be found here.

For more information, visit https://www.evolvinwomen.com/