Dubai - MENA Herald: To coincide with International Women’s Day Pledge for Parity 2016 campaign theme, du today released poll results from the first ever Global Women’s Forum Dubai. During the event, which occurred at the end of February, prominent UAE female figureheads gathered at du’s Social Impact Hub and offered their input of the most important social issues today. Youth empowerment topped the list, according to 25% of the attendees, while volunteering and support for various social groups came a close second for 20% of the attendees respectively.
“During the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, giving and creating lasting social impact topped the discussion topics for the delegates who attended. For female leaders in the UAE, youth empowerment, followed by volunteerism and support were the main social issues that need to be addressed. At du, we echo the importance of these social issues with our wide variety of youth empowerment programmes, as well as internal and external volunteering initiatives,” said Hala Badri, Executive Vice President Brand and Communications, du. “By keeping a finger on the pulse of key issues in the region and listening to the requirements of our society, we are able to ensure that we continue to address social issues that are important to the UAE as a whole.”
According to 14% of the delegates who attended sessions at the Social Impact Hub, community initiatives were also important, while for 13%, women empowerment was the top social topic. Other important issues included knowledge development and education (5%), environmental issues (2%) and entrepreneurship (2%).
To gain a deep understanding of the nation’s views on sustainability and social impact, du took to social media and addressed its followers on Twitter. Of the 2071 votes on Twitter, 59% felt that new technologies have facilitated our means of donating and giving back to the community. In terms of volunteerism, an impressive 73.5% of the 2867 Arabic and English Twitter respondents felt that the act of volunteering had the power to strengthen the fabric of the community.
du’s interactive sessions at the Social Impact Hub showcased how the organisation supported the community through innovative social responsibility initiatives and how it is enhancing the role of women in the communications and technology industry. It provided a unique opportunity for delegates to listen, watch and engage through a number of interactive activities.
During the events experts offered exclusive insights into giving through a number of sessions including Mothers, The Ultimate Shadow Teachers, by Shadi Al-Hassan, the Managing Director of Flagship Projects and Founder of BabNoor app; Empowering Women Through SROI (Social Return on Investment), by Hana Al Awai, the Senior Social Investment Advisor at Sustainable Square; and Equality Means for Business, by Nicole Malick, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at NRS International.
du also highlighted its social responsibility initiatives through a range of engaging videos that demonstrated its work to empower Women in ICT, SROI, Youth Empowerment, Volunteerism and BabNoor.
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
