By Dr Renate Volpe
Why is it that we are still talking about Gender Empowerment in this day and age?
The simple answer?
1. Because the representation of women at higher levels in organizations is abysmal.
The complex answer?
1. Women have a long road ahead in terms of self liberation.
2. Many men still believe that a womans place is in the home.
3. Societal structures and religious beliefs, customs and traditions play a major role in the perpetuation of female suppression.
With respect to the corporate playing field, progress is slow in terms of true gender empowerment. This is reflected both by the Business Womens Association Census statistics 2007, - only 14 women head up JSE listed companies and, by my daily encounters with women in a coaching, event or workshop forum.
My observation this August - being womans month - has reinforced my opinion that the events organized for womens day, enjoyable though they may be, do not contribute in any significant manner to the positive profile of women, their representation at higher levels within the company, or their general empowerment. In fact it is my belief that many such events sadly have an adverse impact on the general profile and perception of women in the world of work.
So how then can true progress be made in terms of substantive gender empowerment within the Company arena?
The answer is now largely available in the form of a process entitled
GET (Gender Empowerment Technology).
GET is a ground breaking process designed with the intention of taking Gender Empowerment within the corporate world to new levels.
GET is the Business Womens Association answer to following up on the National Census which has received world wide acclaim.
GET follows naturally, as the implementation plan required by companies to guide them in their endeavours, to further their leading female employees:
Careers
Resilience
Recruitment
Succession and development imperatives.
The GET (Gender Empowerment Technologies) PROGRAM in brief is a:
Two day process
In kit format
Presented by world class facilitators
Which equip both company leaders, and those beleaguered with transformation portfolios to successfully implement a substantive Gender Empowerment initiative, which has simultaneously inherent in it a strategic impetus, a competence focus and performance deliverables.
The perspective of this initiative is National transformation and will be instituted early in 2009.
The process begins with a case study, leading participants to identify why the Gender Empowerment processes have been unsuccessful in their own organizations. Participants once having identified their own unique puzzle pieces, will be exposed to world class individual facilitators, who will do presentations in their unique areas of expertise. These presentations will cover areas such as:
strategy implementation,
female socialization and male dominance constructs,
corporate political acumen as regards assessing and working within pertinent company cultures,
budgetary negotiations,
project planning and scoping,
visibility and credibility and
board presentation imperatives
each with a focus on successfully implementing a Company based Gender Empowerment Strategy.
Each session is designed to flow logically into the next, with each presentation following up with a practical work session. The two day process will end with each participant having a company relevant and specific GET implementation plan.
For enquiries please e mail Dr Renate Volpe, CEO of HIRS at Renate@hirs.co.za or call 011 455 0769.
