The North-West University's (NWU’s) People and Culture division held an engagement session for its Women in Leadership initiative on 17 May 2024 at the Mahikeng Campus.
This session marks the first of three across the NWU’s campuses, following the programme's launch in 2023. The aim is to empowering female staff through professional development and extensive training opportunities.
The Women in Leadership initiative is designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of the NWU’s female workforce, promoting continuous improvement and equipping women to tackle the challenges of the rapidly evolving higher education sector.
Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations and a leading advocate of the initiative, emphasised the programme’s goal to empower more women to take on leadership roles.
"We want to break gender barriers, create an inclusive working environment, and pave new pathways for future women leaders. Women looking to make a difference in their careers should consider participating in this exciting programme. Take ownership of your career and join us on this journey – stop underestimating your strength," she said.
Prof Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy from the research focus area Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings spoke on behalf of women in research and stressed the need to support female postgraduate students. "While we have a good legal framework, changing the patriarchy will take time. We need to build on this framework and have conferences like this to learn from each other."
The next step in the Women in Leadership initiative has begun with the appointment of ambassadors from different faculties and divisions who will engage with employees to identify their specific training needs and tailor programmes accordingly.
"Training programmes will be customised to the needs of each department and faculty, ensuring maximum effectiveness. Our ambassadors’ involvement will make employees more invested in their development, and resources will be allocated where most needed, optimising training budgets," added Prof Du Plessis.
The selected ambassadors for the Mahikeng Campus are Lerato Wana, Rorisang Machailo, Nomzingisi Madikane, and Dr Nothile Kunene. The ambassadors for the other campuses will be announced soon.
Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations and a leading advocate of the Women in Leadership initiative, addresses the audience.
