Bwasa nominees ready for final judging

HONGQI ZHANG © 123RF.com

“Titled, ‘Women with no filter – Celebrating leaders who honour themselves and others’, this year’s event, sponsored by Sasol, shines a spotlight on women leaders whose essence embodies qualities of grace, truth, wisdom and excellence,” says BWA president, Farzanah Mall. “The 2017 winners will be women who have pushed against the tide of patriarchal norms daily by being the best they can be and staying true to who they are without pretension, as well as acknowledging both their successes and development areas with humility and humaneness.”

A large portion of the proceeds from the awards goes to funding development programmes and the BWA Bursary fund, which has to date been distributed to over 100 women candidates to further their studies.

Too few women in top spots

Yet award ceremonies alone are not sufficient to realise the vision of the governments National Development Plan (NDP) to see women take their rightful place as economic drivers within decision-making roles. On the contrary, statistics such as those found in the latest Grant Thornton Women in Business Report, March 2017, reveal that globally, the percentage of women in senior management teams has only risen by 1% in 2017 to 25%. Further, the number of businesses with no women at all in senior leadership has also risen by 1% to 34% in the last year. The report also reveals that the growth of women into senior leadership positions has only moved by 6% in the 13 years of its existence.

“This is why, in a market fast becoming saturated with award initiatives, our awards serve as a pivotal point for our main programmes. In highlighting the current role of women in leadership, we advocate for transformation of the economy and an equitable role for women’s participation in the economy and its dividends,” says Mall.

“Throughout the year BWA runs entrepreneurial, leadership and skills development programs for women and girls. We also invest in rural community leadership programmes, provide mentorship, research and advocacy and we create networking opportunities for women. Our programmes boost member’s confidence levels and stretch their capabilities far beyond what they can imagine for themselves or their businesses.

“Because of our efforts, today we see women taking leadership roles in industries such as technology, logistics, construction, mining, engineering and automotive which were off limits to them not that long ago,” concludes Mall.