GE runs new online contest to promote women’s job creation

The online competition, launched by GE and Ashoka Changemakers to identify innovative solutions that advance economic opportunities for women in MENA, has gained “strong response” across the region, particularly from Saudi Arabia.
GE and Ashoka Changemakers have partnered with Glowork, an agency that is focused on empowering women in the professional workforce of the Kingdom, in running the competition titled ‘Women powering work: Innovations for economic equality in the MENA region.’
The contest seeks social entrepreneurs from the region that are enabling women to achieve full economic equality, strengthen their families and communities, and benefit equitably from economic growth.
Three prizes, each totaling $25,000 in unrestricted funding, will be awarded to the winning entries. The last date for receiving applications is Nov. 6.
Hisham Al-Bahkali, GE’s president and CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said: “The new initiative reflects our commitment to make a positive impact on the community by supporting ideas that can drive job creation for women. Having recently opened the Kingdom’s first all-female shared services center in partnership with Saudi Aramco and Tata Consultancy Services, GE will continue to focus on building the skills of Saudi youth, including women, and create robust platforms for all-round growth.”
Participants in the online competition have the opportunity to engage with the Changemakers community, which includes social entrepreneurs from around the world, impact partners, sector experts and potential investors.
As part of its $1 billion investment commitment to the Kingdom, the company recently joined hands with Saudi Aramco and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to launch the first all-female business process services center in Riyadh.