Standard Bank Top Women Awards calls for entries

2017 Standard Bank Top Women Award Winners

To be held on 23 August at Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg, the Top Women Awards will celebrate the women and organisations leading women's empowerment through success. Nominations are now open.

Going back to 2003, Top Women has researched, showcased and awarded gender-empowered companies, encouraging others to push for workplace equality - not only for so-called "PC" reasons, but in the interest of greater socio-economic success. "Research shows that an increase in female entrepreneurs and career women could have far-reaching positive impacts," says Karla Fletcher, Director of Top Women. "Women in business are better borrowers and financial managers than men generally, and women tend to share their success with their communities."

With Standard Bank as a core partner since 2014, Top Women is dedicated to uplifting the career and financial prospects of women throughout South Africa. Initiatives in this regard include widely popular regional conferences at which attendees network with and are inspired by their peers in the business and entrepreneurial space, as well as given access to financial resources and services; the Standard Bank Top Women online community, which empowers ambitious women through nationwide support; and, of course, the annual awards.

"Our partnership with Top Women enables us to effectively contribute towards the 2030 gender parity and developing South African women entrepreneurs, a main driver of economic transformation," says Fletcher. "This is a major part of what we mean when we say, Africa is our home, we drive Her growth."

According to Fletcher, Top Women Director, the 2018 Standard Bank Top Women Awards is known throughout South Africa and industries: "The awards cover both the private and public sector, and have reached thousands of key decision-makers in previous years. To date, we have celebrated nearly 20 000 organisations and individuals, including Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Adv Thuli Madonsela and Sophia Williams-de Bruyn."

Ever since it first employed women more than 100 years ago, Standard Bank has been at the forefront of gender equality. Today, its permanent workforce comprises almost 60% women and its management almost 50%, which is far above the national average of 23%. Now, the bank want's South Africa to achieve similar levels of parity. The categories of the 2018 awards reflect this: