Who is Zeinab Bashier? Zeinab Bashier is a telecom engineer from Egypt, founder, and president of the We Love Egypt For Development Foundation. Why did you call it “We love Egypt for development foundation”? I chose this name because I see a lot of development happening in Egypt. I see growth and new projects and at the same time, I am very involved in creating awareness for the kids and the youth. I also believe in the important role of women nowadays, so I decided for this foundation to be a big umbrella covering all aspects and fields inside Egypt as well as Egypt’s relationship ties with all the region and international countries. We focus on promoting strong and healthy external affairs for the country. What is the main purpose of the foundation? The main and most important purpose of the foundation is creating awareness, promoting culture among the Egyptian society, and strengthening the relations of Egypt with the rest of the world on the socio-cultural and scientific levels. What is the role of women in Egypt? In today’s Egypt, Women are playing a bigger role during the mandate of our great commander-in-chief, His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. I always say that this is the Golden Age of women in Egypt because our president is reshaping the country with necessary economic reforms that have generated positive growth as per international credit rating institutions. Also, during his term, we have faced a global pandemic that he was able to manage successfully without a full country lockdown but by balancing between the citizens’ needs and the reforms. Our president has also taken several actions and allocated a big budget for healthcare and the well-being of the civil society, as well as investing in the country’s infrastructure, creating an upscale transportation network to facilitate international investment in Egypt. He is offering us, women, plenty of opportunities in different fields, from ministers to deputies, public prosecution judges, governors, deputy governors, and executives, all playing a big role in our country’s government, not to mention that the number of seats for women deputies has increased during our president’s term. Here in Egypt, women are empowered to take part in all important jobs and are acting in issuing the new laws to support gender equality and preserve women’s rights. For the first time in Egyptian history, there was a military funeral for Mrs. Jehan Sadat – wife of war and peace hero, President Anwar Sadat. Since when did you have this ambition and clear objective? Since I was a young girl, I was always happy to participate, contribute and play an impactful role in bettering my society, by bringing happiness to the people around me, helping them as much as possible, sharing their joys and successes, and creating awareness for children so that they can see and sense the existing and surrounding positives. Now that you are starting to build new international relationships, why did you think of France? I have already initiated connections with other countries, for example between the Egyptian and Saudi women. I always make it a point to attend the Cannes Film Festival to which I was invited in 2019 by one of my dear friends to attend the Monaco Forum. I had the chance to speak to the president of the Forum and he asked me back then to be their ambassador to Egypt. I then invited the Monaco Forum to Egypt to highlight the role of women and their empowerment in the country, in the presence of Her Excellency Minister Ghada Wali, Minister of Solidarity, and Her Excellency Minister Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs, as well as Her Excellency Minister Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environmental Affairs. Mrs. Wali highlighted the projects that serve and provide jobless and homeless Egyptian women with a fixed income and shelter, while Mrs. Fouad showed the attention and effort Egypt is putting towards a better environment on an international scale by promoting and pushing the use of renewable and green energy. The Monaco Forum was amazed by the organization of this event that was held by the pyramids and was very happy to attend. When you speak about Egypt in front of all the foreigners and Europeans, what reaction do you get from them? First of all, I am always very proud to talk about my country and the achievements that our country led by His Excellency our President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. I am proud of all the initiatives our president takes in order to keep Egypt on the international scene and always makes me proud to be a citizen of this historic country. I always get positive reactions from everyone since we are able to show them the historic and very important culture we have. What is needed for your foundation to advance and reach new heights? I am always interested in strengthening the relations between Egypt and the rest of the world through the foundation and especially our historic ties with France. The Egyptian civilization is always available and highlighted in France and as Egyptians, we love the French and we feel close to them and we adore their culture. I personally have a lot of French friends such as Jean-Daniel Lorieux and Hermès’ Michael Coste, Head of External Relations, whom I recently invited to Egypt in 2020 to spend the New Year, where he visited the pyramids for the first time in his life, and we spent time in Sharm El Sheikh and the Red Sea. He was mesmerized by what the country offers and the activities he was able to do, from snorkeling to desert safari. He also met the South Sinai Governor who presented him with the key of the city. I know that you visited the mayor of Cannes. What is the purpose of your visit? I made sure to meet Mayor David Lisnard. We had an exciting conversation about both the Egyptian and French civilizations, especially that he just wrote a
Niu: Your Poke & Cocktails Destination In Lebanon
We bet you’ve all heard about the “Niu” It place in town by now, Niu, the freshest poke restaurant. In the midst of all the chaos and struggle that have bombarded Lebanon, Niu opened its first outlet in Achrafieh in March 2020 during the first covid lockdown. Niu serves some of the freshest poke bowls & cocktails and is known to use the country’s freshest and top-quality produce. Since then, they have managed to expand into 4 different locations and their NIUest is Broumana branch. Niu Broumana’s design was created by the architect Lucien Bou Sleiman, also known as (Lu Cs) who got Inspired by the Hawaiian islands. This place was created with a lot of passion for nature! The design was created to highlight the natural elements like wind, light, trees, flowers & rocks! When you first step into the Niu branch a forest of massive pink flowers welcomes you. The shadings were inspired by the skirts of dancers to express the wind movement! The pink rocks accentuate the wild experience! In each corner, you can feel the greenery and the freshness. Bar chairs with pink color and their proportions were inspired by flamingos. Niu Broumana celebrates nature & freshness in each element, from food & cocktails to architecture. Visit this link to follow Niu.
Empowering Communities & Voicing Women With Wafa Alobaidat
Empowering Communities & Voicing Women With Wafa Alobaidat What inspired you to embark on your journey in coaching? And what are the main traits one must possess to become a coach? I have always been an avid learner. Learning has been a crucial part of building my company. I have found that the more I learn, the more I want to teach. I have truly found a passion for empowering communities with the necessary tools to enhance their skills, build their businesses, and achieve their goals. The most important traits in coaching are definitely enthusiasm and strong communication skills. A coach needs to be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. People feed off of that energy and excitement and carry that on in their own work going forward. Communication is key in coaching sessions. Communication not only helps get your points across, but it also helps you to connect with the audience. What is the importance of raising awareness on the impact of coaching in societies? In what ways can coaching benefit our educational systems and impact future generations? Coaching is a crucial part of our educational system as it involves teaching and personalizing the content to mold the attendees, build their foundational knowledge, and enhance their abilities. As the world has started to put more emphasis on humanizing content, it should also be integrated into our educational system to mentor future generations to become all-rounders in all aspects of life. What horizons and leadership experiences have your current position – as CEO of OBAI & HILL – and field offered you, personally and professionally, that other positions and fields have not? One of the perks of running and working at an agency is that I am constantly meeting people from all walks of life in various fields. I always leave a client meeting with the knowledge I didn’t have going in. At Obai and Hill, we don’t focus on one field or industry, but rather, give importance to diversifying our portfolio and aim to support businesses in various fields. This inevitably leads to constant learning and growth for me as a CEO. What is the cherry-on-top that distinguishes OBAI & HILL within the industry? We always put our clients first. It is very important to my team and me that our client’s expectations are met. We are truly passionate about our client’s brands and are willing to go the extra mile to support them. In your opinion, what are the main steps any organization should implement to achieve a positive, collaborative, and inclusive work environment? We encourage open communication at Obai and Hill. Whether it’s brainstorming sessions, working on projects, or even our weekly meetings, we are always open to hearing the team’s ideas and thoughts. We put a lot of focus on understanding the team’s goals, challenges, and priorities to ensure everyone feels heard. In addition, our team is so diverse in terms of skills, talents, and passions so we really emphasize celebrating our differences and think outside the box to develop fun and creative initiatives together. You are the founder of the Women Power Network, through which a yearly Summit is held gathering women from across the globe, and you are also the host of the Women Power Podcast. How did all of this come to life and what are the objectives that keep driving your team, especially in this ever-evolving digital era? It all comes back to my passion for empowering communities. I felt a need to highlight strong female role models for our community’s upcoming entrepreneurs and professionals. Hearing stories of successes and failures from other women – who have been in the same position as you – is very encouraging. I wanted to create a platform where women can learn from one another and support each other to achieve their goals and grow in their respective fields. The feedback we receive after each event or after an episode airs on the podcast is so motivating. To hear stories about how our events and podcast help women across the region are definitely what drives my team and I to keep going. In your opinion, what structural, economic, and social advantages can more women inclusion bring to the table of all industries? Women’s inclusion and gender equality in the workforce is integral. Gender inclusion is essential in building a sustainable and profitable organization. Women bring a unique perspective in all industries. We rarely hear from women in male-dominated industries such as engineering or sports. Providing them with a platform to share their stories and experiences will spread knowledge and encourage other women to pursue a career they want without boundaries. This will increase the number of women in the workforce in all industries. Do you believe that we have enough women representation on boards? If no, what steps should be initiated to change the figures? We don’t have enough women in boardrooms, in my opinion. I believe companies should implement mentorship programs to support and empower women to take steps towards board positions. Companies should be encouraging initiatives to promote gender equality on boards. I also think companies should definitely have more women in leadership positions to open up more opportunities for them on a board level. Can you talk about one woman who has significantly impacted your life? Do you have a role model? My mother, Faiza Saeed, is my biggest role model. Growing up, watching how she managed her career and family life was truly inspirational and now, as a mother myself, I appreciate that even more. Not only did she teach me how to be a motivated and hard-working individual, but she also showed me how it’s done, every day, and did it so effortlessly. What are your thoughts on Feminism in the modern days? Feminism to me is for men and women to have equal opportunities, it’s about women feeling empowered enough to do what they want without waiting for others