The deadline for entries for the annual Women in Construction Awards has been extended to Monday, 10 April 2017.
The fifth annual Women in Construction awards allows stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to empowerment and industry transformation and allows the industry to celebrate its women pioneers and rising stars who have made a vital contribution to development. It celebrates the successes of women throughout the built environment value chain and recognises organisations that support and contribute to their development in the industry.
Athi Myoli, director of the Women in Construction Awards, says: “The Women in Construction Awards are crucial for highlighting the strides women are making in the industry and the organisations supportive of their endeavours as this encourages more women to follow in their footsteps and other organisations to contribute to their success.”
Importance of peer recognition
Expanding on the importance of this industry initiative, Noluthando Molao, associate director of Turner and Townsend, past winner of the Pioneer of Innovation Award category in 2016 highlights the importance of peer recognition for women in the industry, "Winning the award is recognition of all the hard work I've put in over the last ten years while building my career. I'd like to encourage other women wanting to break into the construction industry by saying that anything is possible with hard work, perseverance and a plan. It's vital to remember no-one wins alone. I have learnt that different people have different strengths and one should be able to acknowledge this and draw from this."
Categories for individual nominees in this year’s awards are:
- Pioneer in Innovation Award - honours a woman who is passionately and innovatively leveraging new technology, information, processes or management systems with the aim of becoming more proactive and productive.
- New Starter of the Year Award - Under 30 - salutes an up-and-comer who has been identified as the ‘one to watch’ as they gain a foothold within their field.
- Woman Architect of the Year Award - acknowledges a woman who is excelling in the male-dominated architectural profession.
- Woman in Concrete: Lifetime Achievement Award - bestowed in recognition of outstanding efforts and enduring contribution to the concrete sector.
- Woman in Media and Communications Excellence - rewards extraordinary talent in delivering information to and about the industry.
- Young Entrepreneur / Rising Star Award - Under 40 - given to an inspirational leader for her dedication to shaping the future of construction in Africa.
Organisations can be entered in the following categories:
- Most Innovative Women Training Programme Award - this rewards an external training provider, department within the public sector or company with an in-house training programme that upskills individuals and women-owned SMMEs.
- Excellence in Career Development Award - honours the extraordinary efforts of a company or public agency to promote leadership and career advancement amongst women in the industry through mentoring, educational activities and networking.
- Excellence in SMME / Enterprise Development Award - recognises a company that procures from small and medium enterprises, particularly black- and women-owned businesses and has demonstrated excellence in complying with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) prescripts.
The winners will be announced at the Women in Construction Awards Gala Dinner, taking place on Wednesday, 24 May 2017 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg and will be co-located with the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo.
To submit a nomination or for more information, go to www.womeninconstruction.co.za.
