Cairo, 1 November 2022 - Qalaa Holdings (CCAP. CA on the Egyptian Exchange), an African leader in energy and infrastructure, celebrated International Day of the Girl Child and partook in four events discussing the importance of empowering women as well as achieving inclusivity and equality from a young age. The event touched upon the practices that develop the confidence and abilities of girls, equipping them with the skills necessary to enter the job market, enabling them to contribute to all aspects of economic development, particularly technology, digitalization, and clean energy.

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

This comes as part of Qalaa’s everlasting faith in the importance of empowering women and achieving gender parity and equality through institutional programs and frameworks that focus on four main pillars. The first pillar relates to the diversity of job applicants, hiring qualified Egyptian women across a wide array of fields in accordance with gender equality, as well as creating a supportive work environment that enables women to flourish. It promotes female representation in senior and leading roles, with a focus on results and value-added rather than gender. The second pillar focuses on honoring high-performing female employees within and outside the Group, presenting them with national and international rewards provided by various institutions such as Forbes and the Financial Times, creating female figureheads and role models who contribute to creating a shift in the traditional views of women’s role within the Egyptian and international society. The third pillar centers on launching numerous community development programs and initiatives that focus on training and empowering females and youths, bridging the gender gap through a female representation ratio of over 50%, in addition to allocating a specific program for working women. The fourth pillar is dedicated to collaboration and active participation in government and international initiatives that work towards empowering women and achieving gender equality. 

As part of the celebration, Qalaa Holdings participated in the first ever Women CEO conference which seeks to support and empower Egyptian and Arab women across a variety of fields. On that front, Mrs. Ghada Hammouda, Group Chief Sustainability and Marketing Officer at Qalaa, participated in a session titled “Education, Management Development Programs, and Sustainable Projects”, which focuses on the developmental role that the private sector plays in the fields of education and applied technology, as well as advocating for numerous other fields, especially STEM fields. During the conference, Hammouda praised Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation and Mostakbaly graduates for their achievements in advancing the Egyptian economy and their positive impact on society.

Hammouda also participated in the Carerha summit, the first ever female-centric career summit that focuses on enhancing gender equality and creating a work-life balance. Hammouda took part in a session titled “Female Success in Male-Dominated Fields”. Additionally, Qalaa participated in the The Power of Her conference which discusses role models and female success stories within the fields of entrepreneurship sports, and politics, among other, through Hammouda’s participation in a discussion titled “Women in Leadership and Boards of Directors”.

Qalaa also participated in the 13th African Congress for Women Entrepreneurs, as well as 6th Cairo Women Empowerment Summit which is organized by the African Alliance for Women Empowerment under the banner of economic empowerment, female and youth entrepreneurship, and supporting small and medium enterprises in order to achieve Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). 

Ghada Hammouda, Group Chief Sustainability and Marketing Officer at Qalaa, commented: “I am proud of what women have been able to achieve so far with regards to inclusivity and equality, and of the leading women who have made this possible. However, there is still a long journey ahead, one that requires coordination and concerted efforts in order to achieve gender equality and female empowerment across various fields. We consider the economic empowerment of women a key requirement of sustainable development, and this is reflected in our fruitful participation in numerous female empowerment programs and initiatives.”

“The role of the private sector and civil society is equally as important as that of the government. As such, I invite all businesses, institutions, and relevant stakeholders to coordinate their efforts in achieving equality and female empowerment alongside the government and increase their involvement across all aspects of life to eliminate activities that undermine women. The role of women has become necessary and prominent across various fields, and women have become a significant contributor when it comes to advancing economic development,” Hammouda added. 

Supporting and empowering women is at the forefront of Qalaa’s focus. The group has undertaken a numerous efforts and initiatives which have been acknowledged by various regional and global institutions. In 2014, Qalaa became a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), solidifying its commitment towards robust governance and transparency. In 2015, Qalaa adopted the UN SDGs, with a specific focus on nine SDGs, especially SDG 4 “Quality Education”, SDG 5 “Gender Equality”, and SDG 10 “Reduced Inequality”.

Women currently represent 25% of Qalaa’a Board of Directors, 39.1 % of various senior managerial positions across the Group and its subsidiaries, and 13.04% of middle management positions. Women hold various critical positions across the Group, with two female CEOs, three female CFOs, and two female Department Heads.

Qalaa has launched various programs and initiatives aimed at community development and has actively participated in numerous female empowerment initiatives. Qalaa’s operations also comply with internationally accepted standards when it comes to female empowerment, in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 strategy and in compliance with United Nations Women.  

Qalaa, in collaboration with four major private sector companies in Egypt, leads “A Catalyst for Bridging the Gender Gap” alongside the Ministry of International Cooperation and the National Council for Women. This is a prominent example of the collaboration between the private and public sectors in Egypt for the purpose of female empowerment, enhancing the role of women in economic development.

Qalaa, through Mrs. Ghada Hammouda, participates annually in “Ringing the Bell for Gender Equality”, which has been organized for the past eight years by the Egyptian Stock Exchange alongside the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, United Nations Women, Global Compact Egypt, and various other developmental institutions.

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Previous Qalaa Holdings press releases on this subject and others may be viewed online from your computer, tablet or mobile device at qalaaholdings.com/newsroom

Qalaa Holdings (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Stock Exchange) is an African leader in energy and infrastructure. Qalaa Holdings builds responsible and sustainable businesses that add value to the economies and societies in which it does business. Formerly known as Citadel Capital, Qalaa Holdings controls subsidiaries in industries including Energy, Cement, Agrifoods, Transportation & Logistics, Mining and Printing & Packaging. To learn more, please visit qalaaholdings.com.

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