Here is thinking back; here is moving forward.

As part of International Women’s Day, I reflected on how far we have come and what current topics have really pushed all of us in the management to work really hard to foster an environment where we nurture our employees and walk hand in hand in the business of day to day business life.

I realized quickly during my reflection that topics of COVID-19 in Diversity & Inclusion, Gender at Middle East and Africa and Women in Management are on top of the list.

I am proud to say that, DHL is an official supporter of International Women’s Day 2021. For us, IWD is an opportunity to engage our employees and create external awareness of DHL as an employer, diversity and inclusion are embedded in our organization’s DNA and a critical part of our strategic business goals.

During my reflection process, I noticed that there were some difficult questions that needed answering this year and I have put my thought into words below:

1.       How has the pandemic affected women differently in the workplace?

The workplace as we used to know it has changed drastically since the onset of the pandemic and the sooner we embrace it, the better in-tuned and prepared we will be as a responsible and equal opportunity employer.

The pandemic, as with all other humanitarian crises, affects every gender differently: UN Women estimates that 700,000 women will lose their jobs as a consequence of Covid-19. The pandemic has further widened the gender employment gap, and chucked a heavy blow to the future of female economic empowerment in the MENA region.

Lockdowns related to the pandemic have resulted in people working from home, which has resulted and once again clarified the following:

?  Some women have more free time as a result of changes to commuting and travel routines, and on the other, women are experiencing a number of extra responsibilities and commitments added on to their already busy lives.

?  Studies have shown that the responsibility of childcare and domestic chores have more often than not fallen onto the shoulders of women.

?  A recent study by UN Women found that reports of violence against women, and particularly domestic violence, have increased in several countries as security, health, and financial worries create tensions and strains accentuated by the cramped and confined living conditions of lockdown.

2.       How can HR leads take a proactive role in evening out the differences?

Despite the challenges, it is essential that organizations maintain focus on ensuring that women can continue to advance in the workplace by:

·  Making flexible working the norm.

·  Leading with empathy and trust.

·  Promote networking, mentorship and sponsorship as ways to learn and grow—but ensure that this is done in ways and at times that accommodate different schedules and needs.

· Creating learning opportunities that fit within your employees’ daily lives. Ensure that reward, succession and promotion processes address unconscious bias.

·  Making diversity, respect, and inclusion non-negotiables and make sure they are experienced in your company’s everyday culture.

3.  Why is it important to have gender equality especially in leadership? More diversity and gender balance at executive level is a winning recipe for improved business performance, innovation and competitiveness. The same applies to gender parity in the boardroom. Diversity in backgrounds, gender, cultures, perspectives and experiences is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable business success. 

At DHL, we are strongly committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion, and have over the years seen a growing percentage of female managers and executives within the Group. Today, at DHL Global Forwarding, almost half of our employees are women, and we continue to nurture female talents in the organization by providing access to networking and learning opportunities via our ‘Women at DGFF’ initiative.

4.       What is the status of gender equality in the Logistics industry in MEA compared to other parts of the world?

Historically, logistics has been quite male-dominated around the world. This is no exception in MEA. Overall, in the MENA region, gender equality has made strides over the past few years. However, there is still a long way to go:

Out of 144 countries ranked for women’s economic participation and opportunity by the World Economic Forum, 4 out of the bottom 5 are in MENA. Gender diversity is more than “nice to have” as it strongly contributes to an improved decision-making process.

5.       Where would you imagine gender equality in MEA in five years?

Five years ago, we may not have envisioned so much change in terms of gender quality in the region, but look at where we are at now! I am becoming a new mum very soon and hope this wont be a topic anymore while she is entering the work place.

We have women leading our teams in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, as well as Sue Donoghue who is CEO for our Arabian Cluster. We also have Fatima who is the lead for the Group’s Global Humanitarian Logistics Competence Center.

For the Group, I think we are on a positive trajectory here, and we are committed to meeting our aim for the proportion of women in middle and upper management to increase to 30%; this target forms part of our Strategy 2025 and demonstrates how much this contributes to our business success.

Gender equality is of top priority and we are here to feature more women, empower them and guide them on their paths to success.