CERB's Agenda on Gender
Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business
Moving towards long term value creation
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CERB continues to highlight business contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the CERB Sustainability Directory and the SDG Leadership Programme. To learn more about both, please email [email protected].
What's new this week:
CERB recently hosted a two-day workshop in collaboration with National Foods Limited on “Breaking Boundaries: Preparing Women for Leadership." The workshop focused on key strategies to promote inclusive leadership, effective communication, and understanding biases, featuring expert-led sessions and industry insights.
The workshop commenced with opening remarks by Ehsan Malik, CEO of the Pakistan Business Council, Abrar Hasan, CEO of National Foods Limited, and Ivana Bajamic, Chief People Officer at National Foods. They emphasized the importance of fostering inclusive leadership and breaking barriers for women in the workplace.
The first session was led by Nazish Shekha, Head of Initiative, CERB who shared actionable strategies for driving change and fostering inclusive leadership. Dure Sameen Akhund, Sustainability Research Manager, CERB followed with an insightful discussion on recognizing and addressing workplace biases. Later in the day, Geeti Yusuf, co-founder of Fitlicious , participated in a fireside chat, highlighting the importance of building inclusive teams and embracing calculated risks to drive success. The day ended with Asma Yusuf (she, her), Senior Director People and Workplace Services who continued the focus on inclusive leadership.
Day 2 began with Aliyah Mohyeddin, CEO Dynamic Communications who explored various leadership styles and their applications in different professional contexts. MUNEEB UR REHMAN, Embodiment Coach and Applied Performance Practitioner then led a session on advanced communication and team-building techniques, emphasizing collaboration and empathy. The workshop was closed with a panel with Faiza Savul, Partner and Head of Global Operations - August Leadership, Anam Fatima Khan, Group General Counsel - House of Habib, Reshma Aftab, Private Sector Development Specialist - IFC, and Amber Imran, CFO - ATC holdings. The Panel was moderated by Asma Yusuf - Senior Director People and Workplace Services, and focused on overcoming challenges and advocating for oneself while focusing on career growth.
Participants from a diverse range of organizations, including National Foods Limited, Engro Corp, Liberty Mills Limited, MG Apparel, K-Electric, Interloop Limited, Jazz, Pakistan Stock Exchange - PSX, Dawlance, Hoechst Pakistan Limited, Fatima Gobi Ventures, and Artistic Milliners, attended the workshop. If you are interested in organizing similar workshops within your organization, please reach out to Safia Hussain via email at ([email protected]).?
CERB is proud to have kickstarted its partnership with UN Women on the WEPs Allies Programme. Multiple organizations from the Pakistan Business Council were invited to attend an online workshop, held on 9th January 2025, that details the process of signing up for the WEPs and learning how to report against essential WEPs indicators. The workshop explained how organizations should assess their current practices through the Gender Gap Analysis tool, design a WEPs Action Plan, and report their progress. CERB will periodically connect with these organizations and understand their experience and progress with the WEPs. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Rajaa Bokhari ([email protected]) via email.?