This year's panel of judges is headed by Sheikha Hend Faisal Al Qassimi (second from left), an Emirati accomplished artist, successful entrepreneur and committed philanthropist; with Lina Khaled Almaeena (third, left), Founding Member and Director of Jeddah United Sports Company, Saudi Arabia; and Dr. Rana A. Al-Fares (fourth, left), Director at Kuwait University Construction Program, among others. With them in the photo are Vishal Tikku (left), Area Director, Middle East for Mondelez International; and Mohammad Naciri (right), Deputy Regional Director, UN Women. Philadelphia Cream Cheese from Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods) recently inaugurated its fourth edition of its “Spread Some Inspiration Campaign”. The campaign celebrates the contributions of women in philanthropy, community development and charitable causes across the GCC. Originally launched in line with the International Women's Day in 2010, this year Philadelphia rolled out the campaign in partnership with UN Women – the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women globally – for the second year in a row. The partnership renews Philadelphia's pledge to donate 8 percent from its sales proceeds in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in support of a UN Women project aimed towards women's economic empowerment in GCC. Present at the event were this year's panel of eminent judges headed by Sheikha Hend Faisal Al Qassimi, an Emirati accomplished artist, successful entrepreneur as well a committed philanthropist and devoted mother; Dr. Rana A. Al-Fares, Director at Kuwait University Construction Program; Lina Khaled Almaeena, Founding Member and Director of Jeddah United Sports Company in Saudi Arabia, an organization that channelizes women's aspirations in sports; and Dr. Sameera Al Tuwaijri, Regional Director Arab States, UN Women. In addition, UN Women's official partnership was represented by Mohammad Naciri, Deputy Regional Director, Arab States Regional Office, UN Women. The event also saw representation from senior officials of Mondelez International along with some of the campaign's previous nominees and judges, all of whom have contributed significantly to their respective communities and countries across the GCC. Women from the region who have made extraordinary contributions to others around them can share their inspiring stories on www.phillyarabia.com until April 6. Spread Some Inspiration with Philadelphia is an open forum for women to either submit their own stories or nominate stories of other women who spread feelings of joy, love and hope through their efforts in community relations and philanthropic initiatives. The jury members will then shortlist the three most compelling stories, and the public will be invited to vote online for one story that has inspired them the most. The winner, chosen by the public through online voting will be announced at an awards ceremony, to be held in Dubai on May 1. Philadelphia will honor the winner with $10,000 to support her cause, while the two runners up will also receive a fund worth $5,000 each. Citing the rapid growth of the campaign, Vishal Tikku, Area Director, Middle East for Mondelez International, said, “I am happy and proud to see a simple initiative we started four years ago, transform today into a significant women's empowering platform.” “We are also humbled and honored by UN Women's continual support to the campaign for the second year in a row. Philadelphia will be donating 8 percent of its sales for this exciting UN Women project and the contribution will be channeled towards economic empowerment of women from the region,” Tikku added. Mohammad Naciri, Deputy Regional Director at UN Women, said “UN Women's partnership with Philadelphia's Spread Some Inspiration campaign was extremely fruitful last year and the financial contribution was effectively utilized towards UN Women´s work on economic empowerment of women. We are thrilled to continue our partnership, and this year we will focus specifically on enhancing access to entrepreneurial opportunities for women”. “This initiative is particularly great because it highlights the extraordinary in the ordinary, giving women who are doing incredible things an opportunity to be recognized. The partnership between UN Women and Philadelphia is a perfect example of cooperation between a UN organization and the private sector to bring about the aspired change in women's lives in the region, and most importantly, providing an opportunity for women to be able to empower themselves”, he added. – SG
