Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has announced a major milestone in its bid to strengthen the participation and leadership of women in the field of sustainability in the Mena region with the launch of its women’s network - EmiratesGBC Women’s Network (EWN).  

 

An independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, EmiratesGBC said the new body will serve as a platform for networking, mentoring and knowledge-sharing for women across the region, who are working in the field of green buildings and sustainable development, and are keen to participate in the sector.

 

It aims to increase engagement and support female sustainability professionals, thereby promoting inclusivity, diversity and women leadership. It will organise networking events and meetings in the first year with planned growth to include a mentorship programme and competitions to upskill women, it added. 

 

Ali Al Jassim, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: "At EmiratesGBC, we work towards building a strong platform for all to support governments and industry stakeholders in the Mena region with their long-term sustainability goals."

 

"EWN will serve as a great opportunity to the women to enhance their skills, network with senior leadership working at various organisations and learn more about sustainability and green buildings in the region," noted Al Jassim.

 

It will leverage the current strengths of EmiratesGBC including its diverse network to support and encourage women in the field of green buildings. 

 

The platform will celebrate the achievements of women in the built environment across all levels including senior positions in public and private sector and non-governmental organisations in the UAE, he added. 

 

According to him, EWN will also share successes and learnings with wider region for further knowledge expansion. 

 

It will be chaired by Farah Yassine, Vice Chair & Board member of EmiratesGBC and led by a steering committee to support its overall direction as well as future plans. The membership is open exclusively to corporate and individual EmiratesGBC members. 

 

On the new entity, Yassine said: "EWN is being launched to accelerate our progress in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Five - achieving gender equality and empowering women – especially in the sustainability sector, which plays a central role in supporting other SDGs such as affordable and clean energy for all."

 

"With a number of women already driving sustainable development programmes in the region, the network will support them to excel further through EmiratesGBC’s capacity building initiatives," she added.-TradeArabia News Service