Theme: Taking Women’s Leadership to Another Level in Africa: A Different Perspective

Date: 27th, April 2019

Location: Gaborone, Botswana

RATIONALE:

Grant Thornton’s Women in Business Report 2018 showed that the percentage of businesses with at least one woman in senior management, and proportion of senior roles held by women, increased from 82% to 89% and 29% to 30% respectively between 2017 and 2018.

Furthermore, the report indicated that 95% of businesses in Nigeria, for instance increased with at least one woman in senior management, while the West African country also hit a new high of 30% in terms of the proportion of senior roles held by women. In addition, South Africa hit a new high of 80% of businesses with at least one woman in senior management and also recorded the highest proportion of senior roles held by women in a decade at 29%. In the same vein, other influential reports have showed that significant strides have been made in South Africa, Cape Verde and Rwanda, where women account for more than 30% of ministers in the Cabinet, and an inclusion of more women in parliament and governing structures. Therefore, it is pertinent to note that Africa tops four regions in gender diversity performance.

However, the World Economic Forum’s latest report on gender equality shows that Sub-Saharan Africa will take an average of 135 years to bridge the gender gap, as measured across four key pillars, economic opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and survival. It therefore means that the significant stride the continent has recorded in recent times still remains a small figure as far as the realization of gender equality is concerned.

Needless to say, gender equality between women and men, increase in women leadership and equal opportunities at all levels of decision-making, both in business and the political space, have been acknowledged globally as vital contributors to sustainable development. In light of this, the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), in collaboration with the Consortium of Leadership and Gender Experts (CLGE), presents the SADC Women Forum & Leadership Excellence Awards, with the theme set as: “Taking Women’s Leadership to Another Level in Africa: A Different Perspective”. The Forum is therefore aimed at realizing the following four objectives:

• Explore the thoughts of International Development Institutions, academics and research scholars on using non-traditional tools and techniques to raise a new crop of women leaders, and increase women’s access to upper echelons of leadership in Africa

• Explore the thoughts, experiences, and challenges of women in leadership.

• Develop women’s leadership capacities and professional skills in the region.

• Celebrate women who have demonstrated leadership, tenacity and prowess in driving and delivering the gender agenda.

• Initiate & provide a Networking Platform for the SADC sub-region through the established Hall of Fame for top-level businesswomen to network with one another and strategize on support for the younger generation of women leaders.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FORUM:

1. High-level Keynote and Paper Presentations.
2. Presentation of CELD’s Blue Ribbon Awards
3. Induction into the CELD & CLGE Women Leaders Hall of Fame
4. Unveiling of the Amazons Watch Magazine’s SADC Top 20 Women in Leadership Excellence.
5. “Women Leadership: Lessons from Women in Power”- A panel session with distinguished women leaders to discuss the ever changing roles of women in business and politics, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing women in rising the top echelons of leadership in the society.

EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

• Female Heads of Government Arms, Agencies and departments.
• First Ladies/ Wives of Political Office holders.
• Senior Female Government Leaders.
• Distinguished Women Leaders from the UK, USA and internationally
• Major Industry Titans & Stakeholders.
• Female Business Leaders & Entrepreneurs.
• Female Heads/ Members of Boards.
• Academics, Researchers and Research scholars.
• International Development institutions.

For more information on participation, please contact our offices, as shown below-

Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)

C/O Amazons Watch Magazine

Portsmouth Technopole, Kingston Crescent

Portsmouth, PO2 8FA

United Kingdom

Tel:  +44 7459 647093

Email: ehis.ayere@celd.org.uk

Website: www.celdng.org; www.amazonswatchmagazine.com

Consortium of Leadership and Gender Experts (CLGE)

Plot 32331, George Crescent, Phakalane

Gaborone, Botswana

Tel: +267 71300588

Email: mmusisonto@gmail.com

Website: www.clgebw.org