The majority of working experts in the Middle East report that their companies are doing sufficient to create gender stability in the workplace, as revealed in a new survey commissioned by Canon, a leader in printing and imaging solutions and carried out by YouGov, with a sample size of more than 2500 working professionals in the GCC and Levant. The survey explores the attitudes to women empowerment in the workplace, coinciding with International Womens Day 2020 (8 March 2020).

The survey was carried out as part of Canon Middle Easts center of attention on culture, touching on to its employees, customers, partners and communities together with women and coincides with the launch of the companys internal campaign SHE Rise, launched to mark the occasion in support of women empowerment. The programme aspects inspirational talks from woman leaders in Canon as well mentoring, coaching and feedback sessions designed to support ladies in the workplace.

83% of respondents stated that they had observed an enhancment in diversity and gender stability at work in the past five to ten years, with 64% agreeing that women in the region are well presented at management/board level in their organisation. The outcomes additionally confirmed that flexible working arrangements (39%) accompanied by training programmes (38%) and fair parental leave (36%) had been some of the most common advantages delivered by their companies assisting to create a more level playing field and empower females.

Furthermore, 60% of respondents felt it was essential that their company collaborate with academic institutions such as universities and colleges to support ladies into the workplace, which can consist of efforts like internships and scholarships.

Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director, Canon Middle East, said: The survey findings are extraordinarily encouraging as we can see there is an overall positive sentiment to female empowerment in the workplace in the Middle East, with most having seen an enhancement in terms of policies and gender balance in the previous five to ten years. At Canon, we have a strong dedication to ladies and the community, something that is engrained in our company as part of our company culture of kyosei. Creating possibilities for women to rise in their respective roles in the organization will proceed to remain part of our focus as we proceed in our growth trajectory throughout the region.

Veronica Juul-Nyholm, Human Resources Director, Canon Middle East and Central and North Africa, said: Our SHE Rise campaign has been designed to support women empowerment and is testament to our ongoing dedication to ladies and their advancement. The programme will focus on the delivery of talks and mentorship for young females working in the organisation supporting them to develop their skills and not just operate in their roles but feel assured to pursue their career objectives.

Zafar Shah, Research Director, Data Services, YouGov MENA, said: It is encouraging to see an exceptionally high proportion (87%) of middle eastern respondents reporting that their companies presently enforce some initiative to support women at work. While working experts in the whole region report progress towards womens professional empowerment through balancing their gender ratio and representing ladies at the management level, we see the UAE & Lebanon leading the way in this regard. The results from this survey carried out in partnership with Canon aptly celebrate International Womens Day and highlight the ongoing importance of women in shaping our economy and society in the future.

The SHE Rise campaign is a multi-stage programme of engagement, involving 10-15 young ladies from throughout the organization as a first stage who will gain from coaching, mentoring and training. Those taking part will enjoy a presentation and Q&A session, amongst other activities as part of the programme.

International Womens Day (IWD) is a international day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day additionally marks a call to action for accelerating womens equality. Taking place for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all companies and is not country nor organization specific.

Canon knows the value and strength of women, and for this reason it additionally set up a work surroundings that helps women to excel and reap their potential in the workplace. As a result, more than half of Canon in Middle East and Central and North Africas leadership positions nowadays are stuffed by women. Canon additionally encourages women to return to the workforce and attain success after a career break. For instance, it introduced prolonged maternity leave and flexible working hours to provide more career possibilities for female in the technology and imaging industry.