- 130 women make up 42% of the AstraZeneca Near East family
- More than two thirds of speakers were female leaders
- Topics ranged from work-life balance to unconscious bias and beyond
BEIRUT, LEBANON – 23 October 2018. In an effort to empower more women in the Near East working in STEM fields, AstraZeneca organized the first edition of Women Empowerment Summit. Attended by 130 AstraZeneca female employees working in the Near East and hosting more than two dozen speakers, more than 2/3 of which are females, the two-day event discussed topics such as having work-life balance, unconscious biases in the workplace that obstruct performance, and sharing best practices from female leaders around the region and the world.
Rami Scandar, Country President, AstraZeneca Near East, said that, “We are proud to host the first-in-its-kind summit – developed by the female leaders of our region, for the females in our family. We know that many women around the world do not find the flexibility, understanding and support they need in the workplace. That’s why here at AstraZeneca Near East, we are consistently developing programs and initiatives to provide our women with the support they need in their professional and personal life.”
Noha Zannoun, HR Director, AstraZeneca Near East, commented from her side that, “Inaugurating the Women Empowerment Summit today is a highlight in AstraZeneca Near East’s history. Bringing together each and every one of our female employees – from each one of our nine markets in the Near East region – demonstrates our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and our commitment to providing our female leaders with the tools they need to continue pursuit of, and leadership in, their career with AstraZeneca Near East.”
To deliver on the company’s commitment to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace, AstraZeneca Near East will make this event an annual tradition, in addition to their existing diversity and inclusion initiatives.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZeneca.