The first session of The Circle, a series of roundtables on financial literacy for women, was held last September 14th by Société Générale as part of its commitments as a signatory member of the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
In partnership with the Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), the event took place at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, where as many as fifty businesswomen and female entrepreneurs working in Dubai and members of the DBWC, gathered to listen to bank experts share their knowledge on financial matters.
“This is about us trying to give you what we know, so please make sure you interrupt the speakers. Please ask questions.” were the words of Richad Soundardjee, Société Générale’s CEO, who gave the opening speech encouraging all attendees to engage and actively participate in the conversation.
Hanane Arif, Business Development Officer at Société Générale, and leading charge of the WEPs agenda in the bank, stated on her welcoming speech: “We are doing this for you, with you”, she reminded the audience, urging them to give feedback at the end of the session on the subjects they wished to see addressed in the next roundtables. She also said that The Circle is an initiative that responds to this Year of Giving. Knowledge in financial matters is what Société Générale chose to give to the female community.
In this first session, the presenters covered topics related to the state of the region, banking, Islamic finance and investment in financial markets; expositions that proved successful among the attendees, who kept the session interactive with their questions.
By the hand of an enormously talented team in banking who volunteered their time for this event, the women present at the session left the room with more knowledge and confidence regarding financial matters for their businesses and personal life.
All members at WEPs are extremely proud to see their signatory companies moving forward on empowering women in the region and creating opportunities for all women to participate actively in society. Recognizing the value of women in the workplace, marketplace, and community, helps to build a better society and a stronger economy. Signing the WEPs is an active way to commit to this cause.
If you share the same values as ours and have a company based in Dubai, please do not hesitate to contact us to learn more about how you can join and what can you do to help strengthen the talents of women in the region.
To know more about the agenda and the presenters of this past event, click here.