In February, CFA Society Bahrain was awarded with “Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Award for the Advancement of Women”, which recognised initiatives that have successfully supported gender equality and the advancement of women. The local society works tirelessly to promote gender diversity and was delighted to receive this honour.
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To align with the CFA Institute “Future of Finance–Women in Investment Management” initiative, CFA Society Bahrain formed the Women Inclusion Committee. The Women Inclusion Committee works closely with the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is the formal communication channel with the SCW on the inclusion of women within the financial industry. It reports society members’ challenges to the SCW; organizes focus groups and conferences; and undertakes outreach and advocacy activities on gender bias and related matters that are in line with the overall objectives of SCW.
The committee aims to empower female members and candidates, shed light on the issues that women face in their careers, and address the underlying causes of women’s slower career progression. It follows up with members to encourage their participation and engagement, listens to their views and overall career endeavours, and promotes the tools available to women in the Kingdom of Bahrain, including the CFA Institute Women’s Scholarship.
The Women Inclusion Committee also reports society members’ challenges to the SCW; organizes focus groups and conferences; and undertakes outreach and advocacy activities on gender bias and related matters that are in line with the overall objectives of SCW.
Zeeba Askar, CFA Board Member and Chairperson of Women Inclusion Committee stated “We would like to express our sincerest thanks and respect to HRH Princess Sabeeka for her support and directives in supporting and consolidating Bahraini women status. We are honored to have received such prestigious recognition from her majesty in recognition of CFA Society Bahrain’s initiatives in empowering and investing in women advancement by encouraging them to take up executive and leadership roles. By aligning with the CFA Institute global initiative “Future of Finance– Women in Investment Management Initiative” and working closely with Supreme Council for Women, the Women Inclusion Committee was formed with the vision of addressing women needs at various stages in their careers.”
Mahmoud Nawar, CFA, President, CFA Society Bahrain, added, “As a society, we have developed strategic efforts to advance the value of women in Bahrain. The society’s membership is open to all candidates who sit for the CFA exam and we currently have more than 25% women representation, with the society’s leadership team comprising of 50% females.”
CFA Society Bahrain aims to equip women with the skills needed to achieve C-suite leadership positions and offer career sponsorship opportunities to foster career growth. The local society highlights gender diversity through many of its initiatives, including:
MUTAMAHIN AND QODWA
Mutamahin is a program that bridges the gap between fresh graduates and employers and women have been major beneficiaries of the program, as 158 women have participated since 2017 (representing 81% of total participants). Qodwa is a mentorship program, launched in 2019, which has seen women mentors represent 28% of the total mentors and women mentees represent 22% of the total mentees. The Women Inclusion Committee works closely with these committees to encourage female participation in these programs.
CFA INSTITUTE RESEARCH CHALLENGE
Since 2017, there have been 34 female participants in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, representing 45% of the total participants. Further, the winning teams that competed regionally included four women in a teams of five.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EVENTS
The local society organizes educational workshops, conferences, seminars and other networking events to update its members on the latest developments in the financial industry.
The Diversity and Inclusion MENA Conference hosted back in March 2019, coincided with International Woman’s Day and was one of the major events focusing on women’s empowerment, equal opportunities and inclusion. The event featured prominent female industry leaders who shared their experience and knowledge and approximately 58% of attendees were women.
SUPPORTING WOMEN’S CAREER PROGRESSION
In the future, CFA Society Bahrain aims to support women in C-Suite and board positions, and help women focus on self-branding, confidence and work-life balance. The local society also hopes to develop an employer sponsorship program to support talented women and guide their career progression.
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