As International Women’s Day globally calls for action in the pursuit of gender equality, and offers a powerful opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, WSP in the Middle East have taken a deeper look in to how, as an industry we can identity and work towards removing obstacles to greater equality within our area of expertise.
By examining ways to #BreaktheBias from the viewpoint of our technical experts and industry peers in the fields of Sustainability, Digital, and Urban Mobility, we have uncovered interesting perspectives and insights on:
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How to nurture and propel diverse leaders into climate leadership roles
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The need for inclusion and diversity to mitigate climate change obstacles
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Improving inclusive opportunities for equal participation in the digital economy
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Embedding cultures which are people-centric & employee mindsets that are agile, transparent, and adaptive
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The complex interplay between mobility patterns, socio-economic factors and urban affordances
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What it takes for the movement around our cities to become a more inclusive experience
Are we on track for climate equity?
Noor Salman, WSP Middle East’s Associate Director – Environment & Sustainability, and Nourah Abdulaziz S. Abualsaud, a Senior Sustainability Performance Specialist from The Red Sea Development Company, discuss how increased education and diverse perspectives are integral in solving the climate challenge.
“Increased efforts to overcome gender inequality can play a key role in how, cities, communities, and countries adapt, mitigate, and become resilient to the emerging risks posed by climate change.” – Noor Salman
“Organizations like The Red Sea Development Company will play a pivotal role in tackling climate change, allowing for a diversity of staff to come up with innovative solutions to help design a more sustainable future.” – Nourah Abdulaziz S. Abualsaud
Is bias limiting equality in the digital economy?
With the arrival of the Information Age, society and the way in which our economies operate was re-written. However, with the rise in digital uptake and economic prowess powered by computers, smart devices and a digitally interconnected world, divisions have become apparent.
Monica Feghali of WSP Middle East’s Property & Buildings business shares how a shift in thinking is required to place people in the bigger picture of digital transformation journeys. WSP Middle East’s Assistant Project Manager, Alia Abdulmalik joins Monica in shedding light on the shift towards inclusive thinking, particularly within STEM-based careers.
“Innovation is about being open to different perspectives; the same line of thinking applies to improving inclusive participation in the digital economy”. – Monica Feghali
Is the future of urban mobility inclusive?
Many global cities, specifically the way they’re designed and how they function, are not inclusive in nature. This inclusivity dilemma extends to mobility and transiency settings, especially in the way our transport systems and infrastructure networks are planned, designed, built and operated.
In this article, Dr. Mohamed Nazier, Managing Director – Transport & Infrastructure, and Gender Balance & Diversity Leadership Team Sponsor, at WSP Middle East sheds light on bias’s that exists in urban mobility, with additional insights from Head of Transport Planning & Mobility, Noor Hajir and Graduate Civil Engineer, Aljawharah Altaymani.
“The very structures and processes of the urban ecosystem are governed by humans. Hence it is essential for us to design infrastructure and policies that address diverse experiential aspects of urban mobility if we are to champion equality and improve the way people move from A to B.” – Dr. Mohamed Nazier
You can read these articles and more by visiting WSP’s Anticipate Thought Leadership Platform. If you are interested in WSP’s approach to Inclusivity and Diversity you can learn more here.
