Schlumberger Egypt held its annual International Women’s Day ceremony, celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, through a virtual event that aimed to empower women and encourage a diversified culture in the oil and gas industry.
Empowering women’s Inclusion
“Schlumberger is committed to fostering an environment that enables growth opportunities for women in Egypt and around the world,” Karim Badawi, Managing Director of Schlumberger Egypt and East Mediterranean, said in his opening remarks. Badawi used the event as an opportunity to shed light on women’s empowerment in leadership positions in the industry.
He praised and recognized the efforts of all the women in the company, highlighting the necessity of the International Women’s Day celebration, as it aligns with Schlumberger’s core values. Badawi also mentioned that “we are extremely proud that Schlumberger was awarded employer of choice for women, diversity and inclusion at the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS) 2020.”
Leila Hamza, Schlumberger’s Diversity, Recruiting and Learning Manager, praised the company’s support to women by promoting and ensuring gender balance in hiring and promotions, particularly through a challenging 2020.
Furthermore, Ijeoma Isikaku, Human Resources Manager – Egypt and Sudan, Schlumberger, presented a video to display how Schlumberger empowers and supports gender balance. Isikaku also announced the formation of the MENA Gender Balance Committee to encourage women and bring the best from women in their day-to-day jobs. She also discussed the important role that women play in society, both as professionals and as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.
Recognizing Women Behind Egypt Upstream Gateway
Badawi made a special recognition to all women behind the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG), which went live on February 17th, 2021. The EUG is integral to the transformation of Egypt’s investments and the company as well. Badawi noted that the project’s women team members have been a key enabler of the EUG’s success. Badawi seized the opportunity to discuss the innovative EUG national digitization project, including sharing an informative video and discussing the significant impact the EUG will have on the industry in Egypt, and worldwide.
Also during the virtual event, Badawi introduced EUG Project Managers Mohamed Radwan and Ahmed Sameh, and asked them to share their perspectives. “I’m really happy to have this great virtual event on women’s international day to celebrate the phenomenal efforts exerted by the diverse group of women whose efforts move forward several great projects, of which the EUG is one of,” Sameh stated. Sameh expressed his appreciation to women and introduced the key members of the EUG project and highlighted their vision, which drove the Egyptian petroleum sector into a true digital transformation, saying that “we are very lucky to have such calibers in Egypt to help to convert ideas into reality.”
For his part, Radwan mentioned that it is a perfect opportunity to recognize the contribution of the women in EUG project, pointing out that the project is reflecting the progressive vision of His Excellency, Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and also reflecting the new Egypt tendency to apply state-of-the-art technology, digital transformation, and engagement of young professionals in such critical and important projects. Radwan also highlighted that “more than 25 to 50% of the EUG organization is women, and also more than 25% of the EUG leadership roles are women.”
Dawlat Hashem, EGAS Assistant Chairman for Communications and Information Technology, expressed her gratitude for being a part of Schlumberger’s event; sharing her experience and career path starting from being a mechanical engineer to getting a leading position in a male-dominated field, Hashem also shared her experience for being a part of EUG project. She figured out that the females of the new generation are stronger and more reliable to get their jobs well done.
Furthermore, Inas Osman, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) Assistant CEO for Information Technology, shared her experience in the field as part of EUG project team, mentioning that she didn’t face any issues for being a woman throughout her career. Osman concluded her remarks by stating that “women normally give attention to details and quality that make great opportunities for them to achieve remarkable results.”
Recognizing Schlumberger Women
Next up in the event, the Schlumberger Egypt leadership team recognized their female team members, highlighting their dedication, commitment, and determination to fulfill their jobs in a professional and highly effective manner. Also highlighted were the women team members’ energetic and strong personalities that support all the teams, in addition to their keenness to learn and improve themselves technically.
Badawi concluded the ceremony by a message of thanks and appreciation to all the women in the company, referring to them as a “talent pool”. Badawi further emphasized their roles, values, and contributions to the company and to society as well.
At the end of the day, the stage was left for participants who engaged in team building activities and games where they shared their experiences, challenges, interests, knowledge and contributions. Through the activities, women were also encouraged to discover their vulnerabilities and strengths by telling their own stories in very unique ways. They also shared their achievements, hobbies and role models.
