MANAMA: Gulf International Bank B.S.C. (GIB) today announced that it has become a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Established by UN Women and UN Global Compact, WEPs are a set of principles offering guidance to businesses on how to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.

By joining the WEPs community, GIB continues to advance its mission and support, across the GIB Group, the development and advancement of women in the workplace and in society. To drive implementation of the WEPs, GIB has established a multi-stakeholder Working Group comprising members in the GIB Group’s offices in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the UK.

The Working Group is responsible for ensuring that the GIB Group fosters and employs business practices that help deliver on the gender equality dimensions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Commenting, GIB Group CEO, Abdulaziz Al-Helaissi, said, “We are proud to become a signatory and supporter of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, and join like-minded organisations dedicated to making the changes necessary to achieve the empowerment of women in the workplace, marketplace and community, for the benefit of society as a whole. It is imperative that we have a clear understanding of the issues, and the actions required to make sure that equity, diversity and inclusion are embedded within our organisation, and being part of the Women’s Empowerment Principles will help us to achieve this.”

Dr Mouza Al Shehhi, Director, UN Women GCC Liaison Office, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Gulf International Bank (GIB) as a signatory to the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This step demonstrates the GIB Group’s commitment to advancing gender equality throughout its operations. We look forward to the GIB Group implementing the WEPs framework and continuing its journey towards building an inclusive and gender-responsive organisation.”