WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS
The Business Mentor
Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Majid Al Qasimi is the Chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), an organisation that is inspiring entrepreneurs all over the UAE. Her Excellency discusses with us how the Council is championing an equitable world for businesswomen and entrepreneurs Can you talk us through your career? I have had a passion for porcelain art since I can remember. Initially, it was just a way of expressing myself. However, as I grew older, I knew it was my calling. After studying fine arts at Sharjah University, I launched my own label, ‘Designed By Hind’, which has grown into a successful boutique porcelain design brand. When it comes to my association with the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), which operates under the umbrella of the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), the relationship began out of my deep-seated enthusiasm to give back to society. I have always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, particularly women. Initially, as a board member of SBWC, I learnt the ropes while contributing to the Council’s programmes, initiatives and campaigns, on both local and global levels. As Chairperson of SBWC since 2016, I take the lead in formulating its strategies and initiatives geared at empowering female business owners and entrepreneurs through training, upskilling and networking programmes in the UAE and beyond. You’re now the Chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women Council. What are the main goals of the Council? SBWC seeks to empower aspiring as well as established businesswomen and female entrepreneurs by providing an enabling, sustainable and nurturing environment for them to realise their professional aspirations and contribute actively to Sharjah’s and the UAE’s sustainable socio-economic development. Our vision is to create an equitable world for businesswomen and entrepreneurs by promoting their access to knowledge, services,
support systems and resources, and assisting them with reaching their fullest potential. Can you talk us through the history of the Council? Since its inception in 2002, how has SBWC gone on to help regional women in business? Since its inception, SBWC has been supporting businesswomen and entrepreneurs to develop better business skills; opening up key business and networking opportunities for them across different market sectors; offering comprehensive services catering to their every need; and creating a vibrant platform to connect them with industry leaders who mentor and train them throughout their development journey. We enhance their competencies through upskilling and training workshops, and organ-
ise trade missions and participation in top-tier exhibitions to help them network with global experts and peers. Through our partnerships with key government and private entities, we facilitate their business set-up process and provide mentorship and consultation. We motivate our members through exclusive membership benefits, loyalty programmes, and promote their businesses through our own and our partners’ platforms. SBWC is one of the few entities in the region that accepts women members of any nationality from across the UAE. Over the years, SBWC has initiated several programmes and campaigns that have helped the council go from strength to strength. With 2,000 plus members enrolled at present, SBWC has now gone global with a new brand identity that reflects its ongoing evolution and bold vision to guide and empower businesswomen globally to realise their career aspirations, attain success globally, and be active contributors to the sustainable socioeconomic growth of their nations and communities. We are also among the few entities in the region that offers all its services, including registration of members, via a dedicated app. Our forthcoming SBWC Mentors platform, in collaboration with Jupiter Business Mentors, will provide our members access to over 25 wellestablished mentors across various sectors and industries for consultations. Our successful initiatives include: SBWC Pop-Up, which provides opportunities to our members to showcase their products and services via various entities and at landmark locations in Sharjah; SBWC Tours, which introduces businesswomen and entrepreneurs to SBWC’s offerings and related services; SBWC
“Whatever your goal is, keep moving forward.” 104 emirateswoman.com
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