Barloworld Equipment wins with women empowerment.:
Minister Susan Shabangu with BWE CSI Manager, Judy Vilakazi with other award recipients
Sponsored by PwC, the Gender Mainstreaming Awards took place on Thursday evening , 07 September 2017 at a glittering and glamorous ceremony, held at the Vodacom Dome in Midrand.
Established in 2013, the awards aim to encourage, promote and recognise companies and organisations that are at the forefront of driving gender mainstreaming in corporate South Africa, through good practise and excellence.
Now in its fifth year, the Awards have grown from strength to strength with increased participation and attendance from listed corporations, non-listed companies and state-owned entities, earning its well-deserved reputation as the premier event in gender diversity.
The distinguished judges were quick to compliment the industry for the quality of entries, sighting both innovative solutions and a deep commitment to embracing gender equality throughout the organisation.
One of the big winners of the night in the private sector was Barloworld Equipment, picking up four awards, in four of the nine categories.
Winner of the Investing in Young Women Award, Barloworld Equipment also placed second in the Women Empowerment in Community Award and the Economic Empowerment Award, as well as third place in the Women on Boards Award.
“We are extremely honoured and humbled by the recognition we have received. Not only does it highlight our commitment to gender equality, transformation and empowerment, it bears testament to the fact that our 40/20 strategy of increasing women representation in the organisation across all levels to 40% by 2020 is already bearing fruit,” says Samantha Swanepoel, Divisional Executive Director: Marketing & Communications.
“The Awards we won are as a result of a concerted and collective effort across our organisation to excel and lead the way in driving gender equality. I would like to thank everyone who has played their part and contributed to this incredible achievement through the many initiatives that have been established and are producing outstanding results.”
As Colleen Larsen, CE Business Exchange, founder and organiser of the Awards so succinctly puts it, “It’s not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. Women should not be fitting into the economy, they should be shaping it.”
“There’s more than enough global research that shows that gender diversity is not only ethical but makes real business sense. Gender balanced companies around the world are showing stronger financial performance, are more responsive to changing market conditions and achieve better levels of corporate governance.”
“The awards won tonight demonstrate that South Africa has a legion of people who are brave, smart and have been working incredibly hard in their respective fields to find ways to promote gender diversity in this country. On behalf of everyone at Business Exchange, I would like to thank our sponsor and congratulate all the worthy winners. We look forward to seeing organisations take braver and bolder steps in empowering women to achieve even greater success,” says Colleen.
Samantha believes the awards demonstrate that the future for women at Barloworld Equipment is bright, “Diversity and inclusion are core values. With a dedicated team addressing gender imbalances in the company by creating an inclusive and engaged culture that drives performance and promotes success, the opportunities to excel are everywhere.”
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