When Women Lead: How Pomellato Continues To Champion Female Empowerment and Equality Every Day of The Year

Following the maison’s insightful panel discussion, hosted in honour of International Women’s Day earlier this week, the brand’s commitment to supporting women in the region and beyond remains steadfast

Women supporting women – it’s a phrase we so often throw around during the month of March, when we celebrate our mothers and daughters, nieces and cousins, friends and colleagues; but the importance of championing and empowering females goes far beyond spoiling our loved ones with a spa treatment or gifting flowers at the office once a year on International Women’s Day. Being truly dedicated to the cause, especially for luxury brands, takes a considerable amount of thought, initiative and effort; but one particular jewellery house isn’t afraid to rise to the challenge…

Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato, has coined a quintessentially female motto for the brand, a one-liner that truly conveys its commitment to the cause: Pomellato, caring for women since 1967. After all, supporting women has been engrained in the brand’s DNA since its genesis in 1967.

For Sabina, empowering others is by no means a façade or a marketing tactic. Be it in the workplace, at home, or in society at large the company’s initiatives are indeed an extension of her personal values and character, clearly evident when Harper’s Bazaar Arabia sat down to speak with her at Pomellato’s inaugural International Women’s Day panel here in the region, which took place in Dubai on Monday, March 4.

“Everyone has a role to play as a ‘social sentinel’ in order to give women a voice. Together, we can foster changes in our society including greater representation and independence for women,” Sabina says.

Both on a global scale and within the region, Pomellato is a creative and socially conscious platform that serves to amplify the voices of women. From the Italian maison’s unconventional, authentic, and natural approach to female beauty – reflected in its uniquely crafted jewellery masterpieces – to its genuine care for its workforce, and its commitment to hosting events worldwide to foster discussion surrounding gender issues, it has become synonymous with the causes it champions.

When Women Lead: Pomellato’s Commitment To Empowering Women in The Region

The United Arab Emirates, like many other countries in the region, are matriarchal by nature – and Pomellato is clearly committed to encouraging further discussion, supporting and furthering the continuation of female empowerment initiatives and gender equality. The maison welcomed Nayla Al Khaja, one of the first female Emirati film producers and directors, and Omaira Farooq, a multi-disciplinary Emirati entrepreneur, which was led by Sabina, to partake in the candid discussion.

The panel, appropriately titled When Women Lead which was hosted at The Lana, and spotlighted the extraordinary success achieved by each women throughout her career, while also touching on themes that related to overcoming impostor syndrome; dealing with failure; and the importance of financial independence. Omaira emphasised the importance of lifting women up as opposed to sabotaging them, whilst Nayla advocated for an increase in female film directors and storytellers at large.

“I think that this is both a very interesting and powerful region for women because, culturally, women hold very strong matriarchal powers,” Sabina told Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. “We heard all these ladies during our panel discussion talk about how their grandmothers are very strong and opinionated, and in this framework, the idea of speaking up and having strong personalities is very much part of the Emirati culture.”

“There are many Emirati women who started their own entrepreneurial projects, in addition to the women who are involved in political institutions, which is very inspiring,” she says, touching on how certain perceptions of the region need to be changed. “We should start looking at the region besides the shopping malls, the money, and luxury potential; as it is also, fundamentally, a region where new ventures, creativity, and technology reign supreme.”

Women’s Empowerment At The Heart of Pomellato

During the panel discussion Sabina touched on her efforts as a leader, and by extension, Pomellato’s profound commitment, to support the women around her no matter the challenges they face.

Sharing powerful anecdotes about conversations she’s had with her team members who have felt they’ve had to sacrifice their careers for motherhood, she recounted the story of an employee who was pregnant at the time and was tempted to leave her job due to the cost of child care. Fortunately a solution was reached and Sabina was able to convince her to continue her career at Pomellato, but giving up work to become full time carer is a decision many women make on a daily basis.

“More than 75% of Pomellato’s workforce are women,” shares Sabina with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. “We believe that well-being at work is paramount, and it is at the heart of our global strategy to give all employees ways to develop their own psychological balance” – balance that extends to being able to manage work and home life, equilibrium sans sacrifice.

With ambassadors like Jane Fonda, Cate Blanchett and Sinéad Burke taking part in Pomellato For Women legacy, it’s clear the brand is authentically committed to championing women far beyond the date of March 8, fighting on a global scale for equality and empowerment for all.

Images supplied.