How PepsiCo’s Tamakani initiative is empowering Saudi women

1. Tell us more about the Tamakani platform.

Launched in 2019, Tamakani is our official woman empowerment platform with the goal to empower one million Saudi women by 2030.

PepsiCo has been continuously looking to inspire and guide women in the kingdom through the platform, and the name derives from the Arabic term that translates to “Enable”. At the heart of Vision 2030’s values and our intrinsic values; empowering women comes as a priority.

We have firmly established Saudi Arabia as our home in the region for more than 65 years, thus, we aim to grow women’s participation in the job market and continue catering to the diversity and inclusion of women in the kingdom.

When introducing the initiative, we focused on implementing three main pillars: Amplifying Voices, Facilitating Mentorship, and Fostering Entrepreneurship, to bridge the varying gaps we came across in the job market.

2. Give us more insight into the three pillars. Since its launch, what has the platform done for women in Saudi Arabia?

Tamakani has proudly empowered more than 1,00,000 Saudi women since its inception. We have set out to equip women with the necessary tools, knowledge, and networks to become impactful leaders, and have been doing so through relevant partnerships with associations dedicated to empowering women, who share our vision and values as a brand.

To launch the Tamakani platform, we collaborated with Eggdancer Productions, to produce a documentary showcasing the changing social landscape of Saudi Arabia through the lens of influential Saudi women, from the past 50 years.

For our Amplifying Voices pillar, we partnered with the Family Affair Council to launch the Mozn Podcast. The first podcast in the kingdom to bring attention to stories from local Saudi women and showcase the women behind professional titles and the stories that have shaped their goals, values, and personalities.

As we continue to set the tone of providing never-before-seen opportunities in the kingdom, we have also partnered with AmCham, under our PepsiCo-sponsored Women in Business Committee, to launch the Diwaniya Quarterly event.

Under Tamakani’s Facilitating mentorship pillar, we have collaborated with Princess Noura University to sponsor the ‘Qudwah’ programme.

The programme aids young women to take up the mantle of leadership, by connecting them with accomplished leaders to advance their professional goals and leadership potential.

Excited to start cohort 2… Stay tuned as we embark on a journey with more than 70 participants, on our mission to empower 1 million Saudi women by 2030. #Tamakani#ProudlySaudi #SaudiVision2030@WLCorg

— PepsiCo Middle East (@PepsiCoMidEast) February 12, 2023

Joining forces with AmCham once again to sponsor the WIB Mentorship Program, under the Women in Business Committee, we’ve connected 20 mentors and 40 mentees in a one-to-one setting to increase knowledge and exchange experiences.

Moreover, for Fostering Entrepreneurship Pillar, we partnered with the Atlantic Council to sponsor the WIN Fellowship Program. The programme launched in April 2022 and goes on for a 12-month period to support 33 Saudi women entrepreneurs to build sustainable and scalable businesses.

3. How does Tamakani align with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals?

Vision 2030 has introduced women to new levels of leadership and economic empowerment. In Saudi Arabia, female entrepreneurs are now establishing and managing more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the number of female entrepreneurs increasing. The importance of financial inclusion is a key driver of financial independence for women’s effective participation in the kingdom’s economy.

In line with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 goals, this was essential for us to ensure we are doing our part to support diversifying the economy. Tamakani and its pillars highlight the latest steps taken by PepsiCo over the years to distinguish Saudi Arabia as a modern society and economic powerhouse.

The kingdom believes that women are important to the sustainable development of the country’s human capital, and their empowerment is vital in its transformation, and we take great pride in our initiatives that are in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision.

We will use Tamakani as our vessel to ensure we are empowering future generations of Saudi women and providing them with the necessary tools needed to lead the kingdom for generations to come.

While we are just getting started, we commend Saudi Arabia for its efforts and are proud to implement the changes it is promoting into our brand. Winning with a purpose has always been our mission, creating long-term sustained partners for our communities and serving them with intention.

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