To mark International Women’s Day, Dubai’s pioneering healthy-eating hub Flow at Jumeirah Emirates Towers is bringing together a panel of five incredible, trailblazing women from different industries through a live broadcast from Flow to commemorate their tremendous efforts during the past year.

The discussion, taking place on between 4-5pm on Monday 8 March, 2021, will be centered around this year’s United Nation’s theme to discuss women in leadership, applauding the tremendous efforts in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The session will outline the importance of women standing at the front lines of the global crisis, as health care workers, educators, innovators, and community organisers.

With #Next50years being the wider UAE holistic focus, the motivational panel of guest speakers include Emily Ellington, Head of Inclusion at GEMS Education;Heather Harries, Founder of the Stop and Help initiative, a volunteer-run kindness exchange platform;Mariam Al Samadi, Founder of DXBWomen, supporting female-led businesses during the pandemic; and Carolyn Yaffe, a Psychotherapist at Medcare Camali Mental Health Clinic who will discuss how to adapt to a changing environment.

Flow will live broadcast the panel discussion on its Instagram page,which will last for a total of 45 minutes followed by a Q&A. Maz Hakim, a popular Afghan-Australian radio presenter and well-known face on the social scene in Dubai, will be leading the session as its moderator. While focusing on sharing some secrets to their success, the discussion will also emphasise on gender equality in becoming role models for society.

Meet The Panelists:

Maz Hakim

Maz is a popular radio presenter and well-known face on Dubai’s social scene. Trained at the Australian Film Television Radio school, she has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the world, hosted the TEDx talk on refugees, as well as tv shows in Afghanistan. She has recently launched her own clothing line Espand By Maz which is a fusion of east and west using handmade Afghan material and made by women in the UAE. During the panel session she will talk about her passion to inspire and empower women, and why it is important for her to be seen as an example for Afghan females all around the world.

Emily Ellington

As the Corporate Head of Inclusion for GEMS Education, Emily provides strategic leadership for the ‘inclusion’ agenda across GEMS schools in the UAE, ensuring the needs of ‘Students of Determination’ are well-met. Emily has worked in the field of special educational needs and disabilities for more than 12 years, across a number of different schools and specialist SEND services. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with post-graduate qualifications in both Counselling and Special and Additional Learning Needs, and will discuss the importance of her role as a female in a senior position and why she encourages others to join the industry as well.

Heather Harries

British expat Heather Harries is the founder of kindness exchange initiative Stop and Help, an initiative which finds donors for families who need help with their daily needs. At the beginning of the pandemic Heather set up a Facebook page to provide families with books, toys, cakes and essentials, an initiative which has grown exponentially over the last 12 months, supporting over 100,000 people. Through the initiative, Heather has provided 2.4 million meals to date by delivering thousands of boxes of groceries and good deeds for families who have been impacted severely.

Heather has previously worked as CEO of Pembrokeshire Tourism, been on the UK National Tourism Committee headed by Prince Charles, and also managed the Sharjah Wanderers Youth Rugby Team most recently, focusing on developing and nurturing skills in children.

Mariam Al-Samadi

The 26-year-old Palestinian-American has resided in the UAE for 10 years and worked in the media and marketing sector previously. During the pandemic, Mariam founded DXB Women, alongside her friend and business partner, Anan, to support struggling female-led businesses across the emirate. DXB Women continues to promote women empowerment, showcasing each businesses’ unique products and overall experience. Mariam will discuss the importance of the platform and how it is a useful tool for anyone looking.

Carolyn Yaffe

Presently is a Psychotherapist at Medcare Camali Mental Health Clinic, with considerable experience in providing clinical therapy to adults, children, and adolescents. Carolyn holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and Certifications in both Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Assessment and Treatment of Trauma.She will contribute to the panel by discussing how to adapt to a changing environment, which is considerably important given the current times.

INFO: ‘Meet The Female Powerhouses’ from 4pm to 5pm via a live broadcast straight from Flow at Jumeirah Emirates Towers on Instagram at @flowdubai on Monday 8^th March 2021.