Zain Bahrain has announced the establishment of a new function titled Sustainability & Inclusivity in a move to reinforce the culture of inclusion and sustainable business.
The company appointed Ms. Fatema Haider Ali as manager of the Sustainability & Inclusivity function. Fatema has been with the company for over 11 years and was the ambassador for diversity and inclusivity (D & I) since its establishment in 2017. She will use her vast experience in the field of D & I to focus on assisting the company in building diverse teams.
Fatema was appointed to Zain's D & I advisory board in 2020 and has since worked directly with the vice-chairman, Group CEO, and his executive team as a representative of Zain Bahrain. In her current role, Fatema will oversee corporate sustainability, developing and executing strategies to address Zain's sustainability streams, working alongside all departments to ensure that the sustainability & inclusivity strategy is embedded across all levels. She will also lead the design, development, and management of the sustainable business operation, monitoring progress and partnering with external entities and business unit representatives to invest in serving the local community in implementing change initiatives across the organization.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Duncan Howard, CEO at Zain Bahrain said, "At Zain Bahrain, sustainability and diversity & inclusion is key to our strategy. We believe in employee empowerment by creating equal opportunities and treatment, encouraging a sense of belonging in a safe and open environment. "
On her part, Fatema said, "Sustainability & inclusivity are key drivers to Zain Bahrain's growth, which I believe will support the advancement of our organization and will serve as a brand differentiator to support our internal and external stakeholders. I am delighted to be appointed for this role and look forward to purposefully reaching an inclusive and shared interest between the local community and the business' growth."
The expansion of Zain Bahrain’s sustainability efforts aligns with the company's commitment to help achieve the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 – gender equality. Zain Bahrain also focused on SDG 11 for sustainable cities and communities and SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production. The company has supported various differently-abled individuals in the community and is also committed to addressing the various risks and opportunities related to climate change by participating in activities such as recycling of e-waste. The company continues to focus on women empowerment and has launched various initiatives as part of its SDGs to provide quality education to Bahraini women, such as the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Camp for girls aged 8-14 that trained 1,000 school-going girls to code across the Kingdom in an effort to heighten their interest in technology.
With the addition of the new function, Zain Bahrain continues to embrace a culture where men and women are treated equally at the workplace and creates empowering initiatives for all segments in the community to develop and grow.
Zain Bahrain has been a proud recipient of HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa's 'Women Empowerment Award' for its significant efforts and contribution to the Bahraini women work force.
