AGSI is championing the change in the steel industry through accelerating progress towards more inclusive and equitable future.
On December 5th, 2023, the company launched its flagship initiative for its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Paving the way in the male-dominated industry, this initiative seeks to break barriers, empower women, and create an environment where everyone can thrive”, says Anna Griffin, the Chief People Officer, who launched the program. “It aligns with our values of equality, inclusivity, innovation, and fostering a workplace where everyone can have opportunities to grow while having balanced life.
Our mission is to empower all women to achieve their ambitions through building skills, networks, and mentorship needed to develop and accelerate in their roles”, continues Anna.
Empowering Women in Steel. Creating New Leaders in the Industry.
The panelists included Rima Al Muharrami, a Senior Manager of Engagement and Culture at Emirates Steel Arkan, and Sheema Ahmed, an Engineer from AGSI.
“As the aim for Women in Steel is to bring together efforts across the industry to foster culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it is important to collaborate with our partners and external stakeholders so we can collectively contribute to increasing participation of women the steel industry and in leadership roles”, says Ms. Griffin.
We also want to contribute to shaping the future of ‘green jobs’ and climate-resilient education in the UAE.
Ms. Rima Al Muharrami of Emirates Steel Arkan, stressed the important role of women in ESA at all levels of the organisation and their contribution to shaping the company’s direction.
Under Ms. Al Muharrami’s guidance, many effective programs were initiated aimed at fostering collaboration, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace. With strategic approach, Ms. Rima actively develops and implements initiatives to improve employee well-being, fortify team dynamics, and contribute to the overall success of the organization.
Creating Leaders, empowering next generations.
At AGSI, we create opportunities for growth and development, enabling environment where women (and men) can advance their skills and career. We create a thriving ecosystem with a number of programs, including:
- AGSI Mentorship Program, which is aimed to go beyond the company and empower women across the hard-to-abate sector.
- SheSteel Leadership Program – advancing women into leadership roles.
- SteelEdge Professional Development Program – variety of specifically targeted skills to advance in the workplace, company-wide.
- Sponsorship and Visibility initiatives.
- ASPIRE Program for graduates and internships and the UAE Industrialists Program under In-Country Value Certification.
- SteelCraft Mastery Program – designed specifically for employees at the Steel Plants and Mills targeting specific technical and soft skills required for working at plants
The launch of the Women in Steel took place at the World Trade Center, at the Big 5 Global Conference on December 5th, 2023.
‘The inauguration of the AGSI Women in Steel is a remarkable moment for us’, says Ms. Griffin, ‘it serves as a reminder to all of us of not only how far we’ve come as a company, but also as a reminder of the road ahead’.
Achieving AGSI’s successes is incumbent on inclusivity. Everyone was needed to contribute to company’s achievements so far and the diversity of talents, creative thinking, and leadership is needed for what’s in front of us. And our women play a significant role in it.
Driving agendas, forging progress.
‘Through establishing the Women in Steel platform that aims to create female leaders in the industry, attract and retain women to the workforce, we support national agendas as well. We want to create partnerships and coalitions that will drive the initiatives to increase participation of women not only at AGSI, but across the region’, says Ms. Griffin.
Our female colleagues have significantly contributed, and continue to contribute, to achieving our Net Zero ambitions. Our female engineers are working on some groundbreaking technology projects and innovations that drive decarbonization of our steel production, making our steel plant in Abu Dhabi the first one in the Middle East to achieve the lowest carbon footprint for its steel production of 0.2 CO2t/tcs – that is remarkable result, about wouldn’t have been achieved without our female colleagues.
As an innovative company, we ensure that we develop skills and capabilities for women (and men) that will prepare them for further innovation and leadership. This also includes upskilling and reskilling, and creating new ‘green jobs’ and ‘climate-resilient roles’.
Our vision is to bring together a collective action through driving diversity, inclusivity and growth of women in the steel industry by creating an ecosystem where they can advance their skills and careers and thrive as female leaders.
Creating opportunities
From manufacturing and engineering to leadership and innovation, women have always been instrumental in driving progress. More diversity in both boards and executive teams, in both gender and ethnicity, is robustly correlated with higher social and environmental impact scores.
Sustainable Decisions. Sustainable Future.
AGSI Women in Steel has been established to create an ecosystem where we drive change through empowering impact, skills building and networks. We believe that diversity strengthens our industry and contributes to its innovation and growth.
It is a collective effort of our leadership team that reflects our commitment to fostering a workplace that thrives on diversity and inclusion. We recognize the immense talent, potential, and unique attributes that women bring to the table. By empowering women, we not only strengthen our workforce but also contribute to a more innovative and dynamic workplace. For us this is a strategic imperative that is part of our corporate strategy with clear targets set by 2030.