CSR a tool for equality, positive change — Princess Basma

AMMAN — With the situation of women deemed to be the most challenging for the development of Arab countries, corporate social responsibility (CSR) should be utilised as a tool to change the status quo, experts said on Monday.

A regional forum on CSR opened in Amman on Monday with the aim of coming up with a roadmap towards improving women’s participation in all walks of life.

The forum also seeks to identify roadblocks hindering women’s full integration into society, including restrictive laws and societal norms.

“Implementing corporate social responsibility policies has become a very significant strategy for creating positive change for people and the environment, and a valuable tool to reach equality in society and the workplace,” said HRH Princess Basma during the forum’s opening ceremony.

She cited the UN Global Compact, an initiative that encourages the private sector to implement sustainable and responsible social policies that has been signed by participants from 170 countries, according to the compact’s website.

Participants at the two-day gathering, organised by the Arab Women’s Council (AWC) and the Arab Organisation for Social Responsibility (AOSR), are discussing research papers on women’s empowerment in the ICT sector, women’s economic role, and Arab governments’ measures to improve the situation of women.

“The social problems of our current era, especially in developing countries, including the Arab world, have amplified the burden on women. There is no doubt that empowering women leads to better living conditions for individuals and a better reality for countries as a whole,” said AWC President Lina Moukarzel.

Mohammed Al Adwan, ambassador of Arab cooperation at the AOSR, called for utilising knowledge, faith and research in order to access modernisation and development.

A member of the AWC board of trustees, Judge Taghreed Hikmat, urged participants to exchange their experiences and knowledge of practical ways to employ CSR to support women.

During the opening ceremony, Mouna Elias Haraoui, founder and president of the Chronic Care Centre in Lebanon, and Adnan Yousif, CEO of Al Baraka Banking Group, highlighted their experiences in social, humanitarian and development work.