Cairo, Egypt – In an announcement on Monday, Mohamed Shelbaya, the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Egypt and Senior Vice President for North Africa, revealed that the company has made significant strides in promoting gender diversity within its leadership ranks. According to Shelbaya, the share of women holding leadership positions in PepsiCo Egypt has now reached almost 40%, marking a noteworthy milestone in the organization’s commitment to fostering gender equality and empowerment.
Shelbaya made these remarks during the second edition of the She Works Wonders Programme, a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2022. The collaborative effort involves PepsiCo Egypt, renowned nonprofit organization INJAZ Egypt, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, and the National Council for Women. Its primary objective is to create a more inclusive professional landscape by providing women with enhanced opportunities to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Furthermore, Shelbaya highlighted that PepsiCo Egypt has also made significant progress in increasing female representation in administrative positions. Currently, the company boasts a commendable 27% of women holding administrative roles, reflecting their ongoing commitment to gender diversity across all levels of the organization.
The She Works Wonders Programme has proven instrumental in driving these positive changes within PepsiCo Egypt. By forging strategic partnerships and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, the initiative has successfully created an enabling environment where women can thrive professionally and overcome barriers in their career progression.
The remarkable achievements made by PepsiCo Egypt in empowering women and promoting gender diversity serve as an inspiring example to other companies and organizations across the region. With Mohamed Shelbaya at the helm, the company continues to champion the cause of gender equality, demonstrating that businesses can play a pivotal role in creating a more equitable and inclusive society.
“There are around 14,000 employees in the company, with the sales and supply chain departments having the biggest share,” Shelbaya noted.
Improving boardroom diversity, gender equity, and helping women achieve their goals are a focus for Pepsico Egypt, he added.
The company has hired 23 young women through She Works Wonders Programme, Shelbaya revealed, adding that one of them had taken part in the implementation of a solar energy project in favour of Pepsico’s factory in Assiut.
The second edition of She Works Wonders Programme is in collaboration with more partners, including Vodafone and Nestlé, he said.
“With the second edition of the programme, ‘She Works Wonders’ has forged new partnerships with Vodafone Egypt as their strategic ally, as well as leading FMCGs Nestle, Danone, P&G, Mars, Microsoft, and Cisco as technical partners. With support from organisations like UN Women, USAID, Pathfinder and Egyptian Gender Alliance, ‘She Works Wonders’ strives to widen its scope and empower more women across more industries than ever before.” Shelbaya concluded
