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As part of its commitment to advance female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, Mastercard has launched ‘Her Voice’, a new podcast series that is aimed at amplifying inspiring female stories in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
In a special launch event of ‘Her Voice’, Mastercard and KAFD in Riyadh joined forces to host a panel session to celebrate the successes of women around International Women’s Day.
Moderator Raha Moharrak - the youngest Arab and first Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits - welcomed four women to share their challenges, success stories, experiences and advice in their own voices, in order to inspire other women.
The panel comprised HRH Princess Fahda Al Saud, co-founder at The Traveling Panther; Saniya Abdulaal, founder of Perfectly Pressed; Arwa Al Ali, founder and CEO of Creative Pathways; and Maria Medvedeva, Vice President, Country Business Development Lead for Saudi Arabia & Bahrain, Mastercard.
“To unlock the power of the female economy, we have to include all women in the economy. At Mastercard, we are committed to connecting women entrepreneurs to digital solutions and the knowledge they need to grow. The inspiration that women can offer other women is an extremely powerful motivator, and ‘Her Voice’ podcast series will further support our efforts in Saudi Arabia and beyond to build a better and more inclusive world for all,” said Maria Medvedeva, Vice President, Country Business Development Lead for Saudi Arabia & Bahrain, Mastercard.
“Saudi Arabia is on a journey of unprecedented transformation – economically, socially and culturally. Today there are more opportunities than ever for women to contribute to this transformation and realize their highest potential. At KAFD we are proud to partner with Mastercard in amplifying the voices of some of the Kingdom’s most inspiring and innovative women, so that they may blaze a trail for the next generation of leaders,” said Gautam Sashittal, CEO of KAFD.
‘Her Voice’ podcast series features six episodes, each with a distinct theme embodying the qualities of high-achieving women: Fearless, Limitless, Driven, Resilient, Dynamic and Priceless. Each episode chronicles the story of one special female guest in her own voice, during a conversation with host Raha Moharrak.
Emon Shakoor, Tech Founder & CEO of Blossom, and a guest on ‘Her Voice’, added: “The single best thing we can do for our economies and for our families is to equally include more women both socially and at work. Inclusivity is imperative; when women succeed, we all succeed. Including more women in work and life brings about greater economic returns, and more innovation, resulting in happier communities.”
The Mastercard SME Confidence Index highlighted how SMEs in Saudi Arabia identified better data and insights (47%), as well as training and upskilling staff (46%), as the top drivers for growth. Digitization remains important, and research showed that women in the wider region are actually leading the way with making their businesses more technological. About 81% of women-led businesses across the Middle East and Africa have gone digital, compared to only 68% of male-led businesses.
Globally, Mastercard is committed to building a more sustainable and inclusive digital economy. The technology company has pledged to bring 25 million women entrepreneurs into the global digital economy by 2025 – connecting them to the digital tools, training, insights, and solutions that will empower their business. Among the initiatives opening more doors are a free online cybersecurity toolkit and ‘The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey’ – a first-of-its-kind digital education platform that brings together a range of world-class academic and business resources to help small businesses learn and thrive.
