Dubai, UAE – Nov, 2024: Avtar Group, a global leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) solutions, in partnership with Seramount, announced the launch of the second edition of the Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) study. This business-critical benchmarking initiative recognizes companies excelling in empowering gender diversity and inclusion in workplaces across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The inaugural Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) study, concluded earlier this year, showcased the Top 10 companies that have made remarkable strides in fostering inclusive work environments and implementing innovative policies to support women. The 2024 Top 10 Companies, recognized for their leadership in diversity and inclusivity, are Apparel Group, Bayer Middle East FZE, Diversey A Solenis Company Gulf FZE, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Ecolab, General Motors Overseas Distribution LLC, Gulf Islamic Investments LLC, KONE MIDDLE EAST LLC, OTIS Elevator, and Wipro Limited.
The Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) study assesses organizations across multiple metrics, including hiring practices, retention strategies, leadership diversity, flexible working arrangements, parental leave policies, and employee development programs. Insights from the 2024 edition highlight promising progress, with women now holding 26% of board seats in the Top 10 companies, showcasing advancements in leadership representation. Additionally, women constitute 26% of the top earners, signaling significant strides toward achieving pay equity and enhancing gender diversity in senior leadership roles.
Speaking on the launch, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder- President, Avtar Group said “The inaugural edition of Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) has presented comprehensive data towards advancing women’s representation at workplaces in the GCC region. It is incredible to see that the winning companies are not just champions for women in the workplace, but pioneers for progress in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region. In the second edition of BCWG, we invite applications from every organization that is committed to women’s empowerment and advancement, operating in the GCC region. Through the study, we are delighted to contribute towards the vision of gender balance and inclusive growth in the region.”
“Avtar & Seramount are both deeply committed to global diversity and are thrilled with the results of the inaugural Best Companies study in the Gulf region,” said Subha V. Barry, president of Seramount. “The data tells us that the Top 10 Companies for Women in the Gulf are passionately committed to the goal of gender diversity. Through initiatives such as sponsorship, mentorship, ERG programs, and benefits that support working mothers, these companies are leading the way toward inclusive progress. At Seramount, we are proud to honor these forward-thinking organizations and we look forward to the second edition of BCWG, raising the bar, further.”
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About Avtar
Avtar, set up in 2000, is a leading diversity advocate & workplace inclusion expert. Stepping into its 25th glorious year, renowned for the extensive work in the space of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and more specifically, women’s workforce participation, Avtar is now an ISO 20700 Certified firm. Under the visionary leadership of Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Avtar has ventured into areas of gender inclusion and career creation, which are firsts to India, including:
Creating returnship programs for women
Spearheading original research that has provided cutting edge insights to organization
Creating India’s largest diversity benchmarking platform – Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for women in India
Creating India’s first diversity hiring portal myavtar.com
For its transformational impact in the realm of DEI, Avtar Group was listed in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 Listing by Strait Times & INSEAD at Singapore in 2022.
To know more, visit www.avtarinc.com | www.myavtar.com
