The 8th of March is International Women’s Day when many of the challenges facing women worldwide are brought into sharp focus. Issues such as gender inequality, reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, reduced access to education, and limited employment opportunities are problems entrenched in many people’s minds and deep-rooted in societies around the globe. Resolving these issues requires changes in the next generation’s attitudes and education, and the sooner the problems are acknowledged and understood, the sooner society as a whole can advance.

International Women’s Day draws attention to the incredible work being done to address these challenges and make a positive impact on the lives of millions of underrepresented girls and women worldwide.

One woman determined to make a difference is Katerina Pawlowska Hanafin. She is the COO and Co-Founder of Huriya Private, a family-run Dubai business, and one of the members of The Luxury Network UAE that launched its non-profit, charitable initiative Huriya Private Foundation in January 2021.

The Foundation’s focus is education and the empowerment of women, specifically making a difference in the lives of communities in the Middle East and Asia. It works with several charities and organisations, including Dubai Cares, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, the Al Jalila Foundation, and the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation.

Huriya Private Foundation’s partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation

One of Huriya Private Foundation’s key partnerships is with the Cherie Blair Foundation, with whom it collaborates on the Mentoring Women in Business Programme. Involvement in the programme, coupled with her positive experience as a mentor, inspired Katerina to create a scholarship programme of her own, sponsored entirely by Huriya Private. This initiative currently funds 50 scholarships enabling female entrepreneurs to participate as mentors and partner with women mentees from low or middle-income countries.

The mentorship programme helps mentees realise their professional potential by giving them the tools to start and grow successful businesses and, in doing so, reclaim the rights and freedoms they are too often denied.

The mentors also greatly benefit from the opportunity to play a pivotal role in an entrepreneur’s professional growth at a critical career stage. In sharing their knowledge, they boost the mentees’ confidence and help them grow their businesses, add to their skill sets, and make lasting changes for themselves, their families, the wider community, and beyond.

Katerina’s Mentorship Story

Katerina’s first two mentees were Annie Sibindi Murinda and Burcu Yapar. They were matched with Katerina based on their business needs and Katerina’s qualifications and experience in the corporate world. Annie is the founder and managing director of Rufaro Garments, a school uniform manufacturing business based in South Africa, and Burcu is the co-founder of Inner Joy, a mindfulness and mental well-being app.

When Katerina first met Annie and Burcu, she was struck by their drive and vision.

“I was impressed not only by the passion and drive both women had, but also their receptiveness and willingness to learn from my experience. It’s been wonderful to see the success their businesses have had and to have played a part in their professional growth.”

Annie’s story

Annie first heard about the mentorship programme through Lionesses of Africa, a social enterprise working to advance Africa’s women entrepreneurs. She knew she needed support and a new perspective to take her business to the next level.

“The mentorship experience helped me realise that in order to scale my business, I needed to improve its efficiency. Accepting that I was too involved in the day-to-day operations and needed to delegate responsibilities was the key to unlocking better productivity.”

Annie acknowledges that being accountable to Katerina helped her stay on track.

“It was important that I did the tasks Katerina set for me between each of our sessions together, and as a result, my ability to delegate improved and I was able to set up structures and processes to ensure my retail and manufacturing departments ran without a huge time investment on my part.

Overall, mentorship has been a fantastic experience – it’s enabled me to grow my business and also given me more time to maintain relationships with my existing clients.”

Burcu’s story

Burcu’s background included seven years in correspondent banking. She says her corporate experience helped in some ways, but the transferable skills for her new project were limited.

“My corporate experience undoubtedly helped me at the beginning, but working on a startup company presents very different challenges to those in a larger corporate setup. I realised very quickly that I needed to build an agile mindset if I was to be able to adapt to the fast-evolving nature of a startup.”

On the mentorship experience, Burcu believes its greatest benefit is the positive reinforcement it gives the mentee and the considerable benefit of having someone else’s input.

“I believe the true value of a mentorship experience is the different perspective it offers and having someone to turn to when you begin to question yourself. Katerina was really supportive during challenging times, and it was really helpful to hear that having ups and downs is a normal part of running a business.

For me, mentorship was a really valuable experience. It kept me accountable, and I always made sure I had something new to discuss in each of our meetings which kept them productive and useful.”

Final Thoughts

Stories like Katerina’s, Annie’s, and Burcu’s are a reminder of the power of women when they unite and support each other, and how they thrive when given the opportunities they deserve. So, on the 8th of March this year, let’s empower, champion, and celebrate the women in our lives.

“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on” – Serena Williams.