CFA Society Bahrain, the Kingdom’s pre-eminent association of local investment professionals and local representative of CFA Institute, received the national award for their efforts in the Advancement of Bahraini Women. The sixth edition of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Advancement of Bahraini Women was held in the Isa Cultural Centre. The prestigious event is under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the President of the Supreme Council for Women.
During the event, public and private institutions, non-government institutions, government bodies, and individuals were lauded for their efforts in supporting women and being active in integrating women’s needs in their development plans. The award was launched as one of the important initiatives achieved by the Kingdom in the field of supporting and consolidating Bahraini women’s status.
The award aims to encourage ministries and public and private institutions to support and advance working Bahraini women and ensure their success in performing their work and family duties. It also aims to improve women’s training and hone their skills, increase the number of women holding leading and executive positions and carry on national efforts to integrate women’s needs in national development plans.
CFA Society Bahrain serves all finance professionals in Bahrain seeking investment-related education, knowledge, and professional development. Beyond that, the society is creating opportunities to foster a diverse workforce and provide greater opportunities in finance to women around the world.
CFA Society Bahrain thus formed the Women Inclusion Committee, CFAB formed the Women Inclusion Committee Chaired by Zeeba Askar, CFA along with her deputy’s Walaa AlShehab and Mariam AlShaikh, CFA to align itself with the CFA Institute global initiative “Future of Finance– Women in Investment Management Initiative” while at the same time work closely with the Supreme Council for Women on its initiatives to equip women with relevant skills and knowledge that will enable them progress in their careers and reach executive leadership positions.
The Society instituted a series of programs with the objective of providing equal training and development opportunities to CFA Society community which includes, members, candidates, university students, and graduates. Programs such as Qodwa, Mutamahin, Research Challenge, Career Day, and numerous educational workshops and conferences, are focused on creating generations of ethical, dedicated and seasoned financial professionals.
Women’s empowerment and advancement have been addressed by the society as the events have catered to women-specific workshops and encourage participation. The leadership of the Society consists of 50% women in the Board of Directors and 44% of women leadership in the various Society initiatives. Further, of the total group of volunteers, 53% are women.
Mahmoud Nawar, CFA, the President of CFA Society Bahrain, stated, “We as a society have developed strategic efforts to advance the value of women in Bahrain. The society’s membership is open to all candidates who sit for the CFA exam and we currently have more than 25% women representation, with the society’s leadership team comprising of 50% females. One of our main initiatives, Qodwa program for instance, which aims to highlight the importance of coaching and mentorship in career and academic development, is led by Noorhan Alzann, a board member of the Society.
We will continue to ensure that diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of our activities, in line with the Supreme Council for Women’s vision to create an equitable partnership to build a competitive and sustainable society.”
He added, “We would like to express our sincerest thanks and respect to HRH Princess Sabeeka for her support and directives the field of supporting and consolidating Bahraini women status. We are honored to have received such prestigious recognition from her majesty.”
Zeeba Askar, CFA Board Member and Chairperson of Women Inclusion Committee stated “CFA Society Bahrain has been including and empowering women by encouraging them to take up executive and leadership roles. As part of the Society’s strategy to align itself with the CFA Institute global initiative “Future of Finance– Women in Investment Management Initiative” and to work closely with Supreme Council for Women, Women Inclusion Committee was formed with the vision of addressing women needs at various stages in their careers.
This includes women who just start their career and require guidance to more senior women who are supported to enable them to hold executive leadership positions. Winning this award is a strong motivation for the Society to continue its efforts to support women’s advancement in line with the Supreme Council for Women’s vision to create an equitable partnership to build a competitive and sustainable society.”