Ooredoo Connects Women in the Maldives!
‘Smart Ideas for Women’ challenge inspires innovative thinking on how best to empower women and girls across the nation using technology
Ooredoo has launched the GSMA’s Connected Women programme in the Maldives, working to achieve greater inclusion of women at all points of the mobile eco-system from consumers to employees to leaders. As a committed partner to the Connected Women programme which works to accelerate and grow the female digital economy, Ooredoo will bring significant socio-economic benefits and greater inclusion for women in the Maldives.
As part of this commitment Ooredoo has created the ‘Smart Ideas for Women’ challenge which invites people interested in closing the gender gap to share ideas on how technology can be used to empower women and girls within Maldivian society. The most powerful idea will receive a grant of MVR 50,000 to help bring this idea to life.
Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO of Ooredoo, said, “Across our global footprint Ooredoo’s companies are working to break down the barriers which prevent women from accessing technology. Helping to connect women in our markets and through this providing them with greater opportunity to benefit from technology is of great importance to Ooredoo, and a goal which sits at the heart of our corporate culture. Our work here in the Maldives will support ongoing efforts to close the gender gap and promote equal female participation in the digital economy.”
Ooredoo has partnered with Women on Boards (“WOB”), a local NGO dedicated to inspire and empower the next generation of women, to launch the ‘Smart Ideas for Women’ initiative. Together Ooredoo and Women on Boards want to better understand some of the key challenges being faced by women across Maldivian communities and to create awareness for how technology can provide smart solutions in tackling these issues.
President of WOB, and former CEO of the Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA) Ms. Fathimath Shafeega said: “It is a pleasure to collaborate with Ooredoo in their work to support the greater economic inclusion of women. With the expansion of the Maldivian economy, more women have the opportunity to participate in strengthening the development of the country and contributing to business reforms. Those businesses which realize and understand the importance of this trend and empower women will be reaping the greatest benefits from it. We believe that the future of gender diversity in leading the economy has already begun, and we thank Ooredoo for supporting us in being at the helm of the change”.
Ooredoo was also the title sponsor of WOB’s “The Conference for Women” held in Bandos Island Resort last week. The conference was held in partnership with McQuire Rens & Jones and provided breakthrough success strategies and insights for women of all ages.
The Ambassador for Connected Women in the Maldives, Ooredoo Maldives board member and Senior Partner SHAH, HUSSAIN & CO. Barristers and Attorneys, Ms. Dheena Hussain said: “Every woman should have equal opportunity to access the many benefits that technology can provide them with. I am proud to be part of this initiative, which will focus on providing life-enhancing services for women in order to accelerate the female digital economy across the Maldives. We’re very excited to hear your ideas on how we can use technological advancements to empower women and girls within our communities.”
Participants can submit their ideas by logging on to ooredoo.mv/smartideasforwomen before 28th September 2015. The best ideas will be shortlisted, and the relevant participants will get the opportunity to present their idea to a panel of judges. The winning idea will be selected by the panel of experts based on its potential to empower women, as well as the effectiveness of the participant’s plans to utilize the grant in implementing an idea.
CEO of Ooredoo Maldives, Mr. Vikram Sinha said: “Ooredoo has taken the lead in providing award-winning services for women in markets ranging from Iraq to Indonesia. We will build on these powerful programmes that are making a difference across our footprint, in order to offer smart opportunities that can enrich the lives of women across the Maldives.”
Working with the GSMA’s Connected Women Programme, Ooredoo Maldives will continue to develop new initiatives and services for female consumers and employees based on the critical insights offered by GSMA into the socio-economic benefits of greater inclusion of women in the telecommunications sector.
Ooredoo is a long-term partner of the Connected Women programme. Ooredoo is at the fore of efforts to use mobile technology to empower women in many of its markets and earlier this year was recognised by the industry for its leadership in connecting women in Myanmar. Ooredoo is committed to working with the GSMA and other partners to develop studies which derive critical insights into the socio-economic benefits of greater inclusion of women in the telecommunications sector. The findings will be used to develop initiatives and services for female consumers and employees.
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo is a leading international communications company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the Maldives, Myanmar and Indonesia. The company was named “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” at the World Communication Awards 2013.
The company reported revenues of US$9.1 billion in 2014 and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 107 million people as of 31 December 2014. Ooredoo’s shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
Twitter: @Ooredoo
Facebook: facebook.com/ooredoogroup
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/ooredoo
About Ooredoo Maldives
Ooredoo Maldives provides a wide range of innovative voice and data services tailored to the growing needs of today’s consumers and businesses. Guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential, Ooredoo has transformed the telecommunications industry for the people of the Maldives.
Website: ooredoo.mv
Twitter: @ooredoomaldives
Instagram: @ooredoomaldives
GSMA Connected Women Programme
The GSMA Connected Women Programme builds upon the achievements of both the mWomen Programme, which was launched by then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in October 2010 to increase women’s access to and use of mobile phones and life-enhancing mobile services in developing markets, and GSMA Connected Women which was launched in 2012 with the aim of closing the ICT skills gender gap, attracting and retaining female talent and encouraging female leadership in technology on a global basis. The Connected Women programme builds on the momentum of these two programmes through the delivery of research, technical assistance, meetings, advocacy case studies, best practices and toolkits to further address the digital skills and connectivity gender gaps to enable women to meet their full potential as consumers and employees. For more information visit: www.gsma.com/connectedwomen.
Women on Boards
The Women on Boards (WOB) NGO is an initiative by a group of dynamic and charismatic ladies dedicated to inspire and empower the next generation women of the Maldives by unleashing their economic power. Women on Boards advocate having more women in top hierarchy positions at all levels of the country which can lead towards a more efficient and developed nation. This drives towards a more diverse and collective mind-set which incorporates a wider range of perspectives and therefore reaches more sensible national developmental decisions.
