The Role of Inclusive Social Investment in Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Astana Emphasized
In Astana on June 24th, the Global Businesswomen Council held a significant meeting, focusing on the growing role of women in driving social investment and fostering international cooperation in education, healthcare, digitalization, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The council, a unique international platform for strategic dialogue among women executives from global corporations, national companies, and international institutions, saw key figures like Kirsty Helen Wilson, a member of Baker McKenzie's Executive Committee, and Marine Babayan, Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations at VEON Group, in attendance.
Kirsty Helen Wilson underscored the importance of government support in cultivating corporate social responsibility. She suggested a combination of encouragement and rules for promoting socially responsible behavior. Wilson also emphasized that inclusion should be a fundamental principle across all organizations.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, a vice president at the Air Liquide Group, echoed these sentiments, stating that social investment is a part of their corporate strategy, not just charity. She highlighted the value that diversity in background, experiences, and culture brings to both the private sector and society in general.
The meeting also saw discussions about the importance of women's leadership in global economic and social development. The council's mission is to develop a sustainable model of international women's partnership, with a focus on socially significant initiatives and the economic potential of Kazakhstan.
VEON Group, a telecom company providing mobile and internet services in emerging markets, was proud to contribute to the creation of Kaz-RoBERTA-conversational, or BeeBERT, the first Kazakh language model designed to empower digital inclusion and expand opportunities across communities. Beeline Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of VEON Group, leads its digital and social initiatives locally.
Marine Babayan shared concrete examples of VEON's social investment work in Kazakhstan, including initiatives in education, healthcare, and digital services. One of the main results was the signing of a memorandum and several bilateral agreements focused on strengthening cooperation in priority areas, such as education, healthcare, digital development, and AI.
The council also emphasized the importance of inclusive leadership platforms to promote gender diversity and provide a platform for exchange between leaders. One such initiative was the modernization of 280 classrooms in eight rural schools and the construction of a flagship school in the Shelek village.
In conclusion, the gathering in Astana highlighted the need for increased social investment to support gender equality, the importance of women's leadership in global development, and the role of digitalization in enhancing women's participation in the workforce and entrepreneurship. The Global Businesswomen Council meeting served as a platform for strategic dialogue and the exchange of concrete initiatives across sectors.
- The Global Businesswomen Council, a platform for strategic dialogue among women executives, focus on women's role in driving social investment and fostering international cooperation in areas like education, health-and-wellness, digitalization, and artificial intelligence (AI).
- Kirsty Helen Wilson, a member of Baker McKenzie's Executive Committee, emphasized the importance of government support in promoting socially responsible behavior, with inclusion as a fundamental principle across all organizations.
- Emilie Mouren-Renouard, a vice president at the Air Liquide Group, stated that social investment is part of their corporate strategy, bringing value from diversity in background, experiences, and culture to both the private sector and society.
- The council aims to develop a sustainable model of international women's partnership, focusing on socially significant initiatives and the economic potential of Kazakhstan, with an emphasis on women's leadership in global economic and social development.
- VEON Group, a telecom company, contributed to the creation of Kaz-RoBERTA-conversational, or BeeBERT, the first Kazakh language model, to empower digital inclusion and expand opportunities across communities.
- Marine Babayan, Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations at VEON Group, discussed concrete examples of VEON's social investment work in Kazakhstan, including initiatives in education, health-and-wellness, and digital services.
- The council highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership platforms to promote gender diversity, providing a platform for exchange between leaders, and even initiating modernization of classrooms in rural schools and construction of a flagship school.
- The meeting concluded with the need for increased social investment to support gender equality, acknowledging the role of digitalization in enhancing women's participation in the workforce and entrepreneurship, and using the Global Businesswomen Council as a platform for strategic dialogue and the exchange of concrete initiatives across sectors, such as finance, business, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and career-development, and even entertainment and social media.
