AWiA director recognised with global award

Posted by Janice Scheckter on 10 March 2022, 10:55 SAST

Sibongile Cele, AWiA director, has been awarded a global women in Leadership Award spearheaded by GCPIT.  Sibongile has been reconised for her promotion of young women in agriculture, her activism in heritage and heirloom seeds and her entrepreneurial drive in multiple sectors. 

In a marketplace defined by complexity, disruption and change, today’s most successful enterprises are those that bring diverse perspectives and experiences to each new challenge. Along with being the right thing to do, diversity and inclusion offer a strategic advantage – especially at the leadership level.

That is why it is critically important for businesses to look at the challenges women often face, and clear the path for talented and dynamic leaders to rise to the top.

This understanding – together with our own commitment to fostering a culture at GCPIT & CIMSME that is both diverse and inclusive – inspired us to commission this study on women and leadership. At GCPIT & CIMSME, we have long believed that creating and promotion of a work environment where women can thrive, and implementing initiatives that support, advance, retain and reward them, is not only the right thing to do, it is a smart and strategic business approach.

The Women’s Leadership Study is a comprehensive survey of more than 500 professional and college women, exploring the qualities and experiences that contribute to women’s leadership and advancement in the workplace.

The Global Women’s Business Summit, Womenomics & SheTrades and follow-on programming have one objective: to move more women into the C-suite. The event will bring together today’s most accomplished leaders from the worlds of business, politics, sports and the media, to inspire the next generation of women leaders.

It is our fervent belief that outcome of this study will inform and encourage leaders to take clear and decisive steps to develop the leadership potential of their female employees—and that we will all be stronger for it.

A woman’s perception of leadership begins not with collegiate academic success, her first big break or when she’s named to a position of power. The trajectory to female leadership starts much earlier and is defined by key influences throughout life.