More than 160 women have been awarded Corporate Governance Development Programme for Women certificates by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe in Pretoria today. Thabethe says that these women underwent a month long training programme to enhance their effectiveness on boards and similar decision-making structures.
The Corporate Governance Development Programme for Women is a joint project of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and South African Women Entrepreneurial Network (SAWEN). The Institute of Directors South Africa facilitated the technical aspect of the programme.
According to Deputy Minister Thabethe, the programme was initiated in light of the need to improve the representation of women in decision-making structures of both public and private entities.
"The programme targeted women who have potential to be appointed on boards of private and public entities, and those that are directors in their own businesses, to equip them with necessary skills that will enhance their effectiveness on boards and similar decision-making structures", she alluded.
Thabethe says the pilot programme has exceeded its initial target of training one hundred and fifty women for 2014.
"It is my pleasure to announce that this pilot programme has already exceeded the intended target. We have exceeded our target with 166 women already trained in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape," said the Deputy Minister.
Corporate Government Development Programme recipient trainee, Ms Elsa Ramathibela said that the training had been valuable in advancing her goals forward.
"I am now well-equipped in terms advancing my viewpoints in a persuasive and effective manner and I am more confident of myself as well," she said.
In conclusion, the Deputy Minister said that after completion of the training programme and the observer status exercise, details of the trainees will be placed on the database that will be housed and managed at SAWEN.
"The database will also be used by SAWEN as referral to various companies and public entities that have vacancies for board positions. I hope this is a step to increasing the 17, 1% of women on boards that we are currently standing at," said the Deputy Minister.
Deputy Minister Thabethe (Centre in dark suit) with trainee recipients of the Corporate Governance Development Programme for Women.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Twitter: @the_dti
