·
Global mentoring initiative’s latest edition sees increased
participation from girls; introduces them to a world of possibilities a career
in technology can offer
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UAE’s youngest inventor and winner of the UAE Robot Olympics shares
her inspiring personal story with aspiring students
·
Prominent Emirati role model and social media influencer highlights
the dangers of cyberbullying, shares trips for prevention
Dubai, UAE – 16 May, 2017: Cisco hosted its
annual Girls Power
Tech event at its Dubai office, where more than 60 female students from several
schools had the opportunity to interact with technology professionals, Cisco executives,
other women role models and peers. Aligned with the UN’s global Girls
in ICT Day, Cisco’s Girls Power Tech is held annually and offers a special
learning opportunity for female students to connect with Cisco and other
mentors on-site at Cisco offices around the world.
Cisco’s Girls Power Tech is a global mentoring initiative that
empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider educational and
career paths in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and technology.
The UAE version of the event included a number of engaging activities, including
inspirational talks by prominent women innovators and guest speakers, a morning
chat session with senior Cisco executives, in addition to an Internet of Things
(IoT) challenge and a speed mentoring session.
"Cisco has multiple initiatives aimed at encouraging young
females to pursue careers and education in technology and they stem from our
conviction that gender inclusion and empowering women is vital to business and
society,” said Mike Weston, Vice President of Cisco Middle East. “The
benefits of gender diversity are reaped by everyone, not just women, and we
have a shared responsibility to do more to increase women’s representation in
the workforce. Greater inclusion means organizations and the industry as a whole
gain diverse perspectives, deeper understanding of customers and markets, and
ultimately, better performance levels.”
The activity-packed day featured inspirational presentations by Azza
Al Mughairy, a prominent Emirati radio and TV host and role model, who
spoke on cyberbullying, and Fatima Al Kaabi, the UAE’s youngest inventor
and recipient of UAE Pioneers Award, who shared her experiences on innovation
and her inspiring journey with the aspiring girls. Ayesha Zainal,
Director of Infrastructure Process Development and Performance at du, also
spoke on the evolution of telecommunications and what technology could lead to
in the future.
During his welcome address, Shukri Eid, Managing Director – East
Region, Cisco Middle East, commented “At Cisco we harness the power of inclusion
and diversity to foster the best in our people, and to develop a robust
community where our differences are our best assets. We will continue our
efforts to hire, nurture, promote and support women, especially in technical
fields and leadership roles. Promoting opportunities for women to learn from
one another and build connections that cultivate continuous learning and career
development remains a top priority for us.”
For nearly two decades, Cisco has made it a top priority to build a
diverse talent pool to meet gender diversity challenges in the technology
industry. In addition to driving diversity at its workplace, Cisco is also
committed to encouraging young women discover career opportunities in ICT
through global initiatives such as Girls Power Tech.
"Girls Power Tech demonstrates our commitment towards improving
gender diversity in the technology sector. Cisco recognizes that nurturing and
generating interest in technology needs to start at an early age, and this is
why so many of our colleagues volunteer their time and energy to make this
annual event a success," said Frida Kleimert, Channel Lead – East
Region, Cisco Middle East.
Girls Power Tech is not just a visit to Cisco's offices, but a chance for
students to experience the power of Cisco’s digital innovations first-hand, and
gain insights into topics such as IoT and innovation, as well as the importance
of online privacy and the responsible use of technology. Sponsored by Samsung
and du, this year’s edition included speed mentoring sessions, where students
directly interacted with mentors, and an IoT challenge in which groups of
students presented their original ideas on potential use cases.
The aspiring young women also had engaged with Cisco executives,
including women role models and men who are advocates for women in technology,
to hear inspiring stories about their careers and their vision for what the
future holds. The students also had the chance to connect via video-conference
with their peers attending similar sessions at Cisco offices in countries including
students in Italy, South Africa, Nigeria and Portugal.
Similar events are taking place across more than 100 Cisco offices worldwide,
reaching out to more than 5,000 young ladies and involving nearly 2,000 Cisco
employee volunteers.
As part of its gender diversity efforts, Cisco also holds an annual
Women of Impact Conference, a full day event devoted to the development and
advancement of women in the technology industry at multiple Cisco sites
globally and virtually. Other initiatives include the Cisco Empowered Women's
Network, a network of Cisco customers, partners, and employees, who come
together to make a difference for women in IT.