The Arab International Women’s Forum is proud to announce that its Co-Chair Sana Bardawil and Board Members Dr Oualae Al Alami and Raghda Kurdi have become Mentors for the inaugural WiSER Mentorship Programme.
Established by Masdar’s Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform, the WiSER Mentorship Program will run throughout 14 weeks from September 5 to December 12, 2021. The programme is specifically designed for WiSER Pioneers – women professionals aged 25-35 with a background in STEM or sustainability – to help them to excel in their careers and work towards future leadership roles through guidance from experienced professionals. Through the program, Pioneers gain access to bespoke educational workshops, lectures, speaking opportunities, industry events, and networking. Each of the AIWF mentors has committed to mentoring two WiSER Pioneers individually, and conducting monthly 90-minute meetings with each mentee.
WiSER is the strategic women’s empowerment platform established by Masdar in 2015 on the sidelines of the 70th United Nations General Assembly, with the purpose of inspiring women to play an active role in addressing global sustainability challenges. Founded on the three core pillars of education, engagement and empowerment, WiSER works to position women as drivers of change and innovation, while ensuring their voices are heard across the sustainability debate – whether on issues of policy, technology or business.
AIWF and WiSER signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2021 around International Women’s Day that aims to inspire women of all ages to play a more active role in addressing global sustainability challenges and to give them better opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Over the course of a year, this strategic partnership sees AIWF and WiSER collaborate on virtual events, research, mentorship, training and networking initiatives with industry experts, policymakers, rising stars, researchers and aspiring women leaders, focusing on sustainability and female empowerment in the MENA region. AIWF’s participation in the Mentorship Program follows a high successful virtual panel discussion held earlier this year on women’s entrepreneurship in the green economy, focusing on new opportunities for talented, driven and tech-savvy young Arabs in MENA green growth.
