PRESS RELEASE 27 OCTOBER, 2010 DTI SIGNS MOU WITH INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSWOMENS ORGANISATION TO PROMOTE THE UN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES The MOU signed between the DTI and the International Federation of Business & Professional Women will launch a national initiative to smash the glass ceiling by putting more women into South Africa’s boardrooms, giving women entrepreneurs access to government tenders and trade missions and providing women business owners with access to information. The Women’s Empowerment Principles – Equality Means Business is a partnership initiative of UNIFEM (part of UN Women) and the UN Global Compact that encourages engagement with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, the United Nations and Governments to advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. While designed as a tool for the private sector to strengthen and create company policies and programmes to achieve gender equality, these seven Principles provide a platform for all stakeholders to move their commitments to gender equality closer to implementation. The Principles emphasize the business case for corporate action to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment and are informed by real-life business practices and input gathered from across the globe. As a global organization of business and professional women, BPW International endorses the WEPs and has made their promotion and realization a top organizational priority. The International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW) - which began operations in SA this year - is to lead the campaign, pressing for gender equality at the highest level. The International Federation of Business and Professional Women is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that has had Consultative Status with the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1947. At present there are a total of twenty-one members serving as representatives of IFBPW at the United Nations and its subsidiary organs, specialized agencies and related organizations. BPW South Africa will spearhead the UN Global Compact (Women’s Empowerment Principles) in South Africa in association with the DTI Gender Division’s newly launched SAWEN. (SA Women’s Entrepreneurial Network). The United Nations-affiliated non-profit organisation - now active in 90 countries - aims to get South African corporates to sign on to the Women’s Empowerment Principles thereby agreeing to work towards women’s empowerment in their companies. This will take the form of a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations whereupon each participating company will be profiled by the United Nations. The initiative will be officially launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2011, under the banner of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles - Equality Means Business. But a lot of background activity will take place before then - including the setting up of a national register for women who are ready for board posts but, as they are not on the corporate radar, have not been given the opportunity. Women candidates will be offered full training by corporate legal specialists into what it means to sit on a board and the fiduciary duties expected of them following changes in the new Companies Act. The courses, which will be accredited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), should ensure that “new blood” is available to corporates - rather than the “usual suspects” continually being offered board posts. The federation will also launch a “Train the Trainer” programme for women-owned small to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and small, medium and macro enterprises (SMMEs). They will be offered training in the various aspects of corporate governance which affect the smaller companies. Seta trainers will be based in all nine provinces and will pass on their knowledge to women who own SMEs and SMMEs but
cannot afford the current high costs of training on offer. The DTI-accredited courses will provide women owners with information on all aspects of running a business and where to go for assistance.
/2 The federation also plans to establish accreditation for Women Business Owners (WBOs), enabling them to access tenders – specifically government tenders – and join government trade missions.
To gain accreditation, WBOs must be based in SA, own a minimum of 51% of their company, manage and control their established and successful business, and have the capacity to sell to large corporations or the desire to scale up their operations. Due diligence on all applications will be undertaken by registered Auditors who will also conduct a site visit to verify information in the application. The federation’s initiative mirrors three of the seven principles of the United Nations Global Compact, which asks companies to “embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption”. Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact, applauded the initiative in SA and expressed the hope that it would make achieving equal rights for women in the workplace a top priority. “The private sector, civil society and government recognise that implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles leads the way to better opportunities for women, strengthening businesses and communities alike,” he said. ends
Enquiries: Toni Gomes, President, BPW South Africa Tel: 011 794 4991 Cell: 083 212 9134 Email: ceo@bpw-jhbsa.co.za Website: www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za