ILO, UN Women and UNFPA collaborate on Women’s Leadership Development Initiative in South Africa
Young women’s leadership development initiative
8 October 2015
On the 6-7th October, 2015 three United Nations agencies launched the Young Women’s leadership development initiative in South Africa.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Women and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) are collaborating on a young women’s leadership development initiative.
The collaborative initiative has brought together young women from the trade union movement, the private sector and social entrepreneurs in South Africa.
The purpose of the collaborative programme is to advance Gender Equality in the world of work and to Strengthen Gender Inclusiveness in Social dialogue through providing and facilitating training in leadership development to the young women.
The young women’s leadership development initiative will also serve as a platform towards providing women with a voice within trade union federations, strengthen women’s networks, increase the visibility of young women in leadership, expand equal access to decent work opportunities for women and raise the profile of gender in the trade union and private sector.
It is undeniable that there is an urgent need to increase the effective participation of women in existing social dialogue structures of trade unions and the private sector in general through leadership development.
Empowering women is a means of ensuring equal voice with men at the highest levels, which will contribute to a more gender balanced representation among social partners.
Ultimately, balanced gender representation will assist in ensuring that gender dimensions are mainstreamed in the social dialogue agenda.
The International Labour Organisation as a collaborating partner is also working for the promotion of gender equality in the world of work.
ILO‘s focus on gender equality has always constituted an integral part of its mandate.
The young women’s leadership initiative had both short and long term impacts on the trainees.
Amongst the short term impacts, young women trainees improved their knowledge base and skills on leadership, especially transformational leadership which is empowering, understanding personal mastery and personal branding and also facilitating intergenerational dialogue and strengthen women’s networks.
The ultimate long term impact included an acknowledgment and urgent call for increased representation of women in elective positions in the trade union movement and on company boards. Thus a young women’s mentorship and sponsorship programme has also been included.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Women and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) are collaborating on a young women’s leadership development initiative.
The collaborative initiative has brought together young women from the trade union movement, the private sector and social entrepreneurs in South Africa.
The purpose of the collaborative programme is to advance Gender Equality in the world of work and to Strengthen Gender Inclusiveness in Social dialogue through providing and facilitating training in leadership development to the young women.
The young women’s leadership development initiative will also serve as a platform towards providing women with a voice within trade union federations, strengthen women’s networks, increase the visibility of young women in leadership, expand equal access to decent work opportunities for women and raise the profile of gender in the trade union and private sector.
It is undeniable that there is an urgent need to increase the effective participation of women in existing social dialogue structures of trade unions and the private sector in general through leadership development.
Empowering women is a means of ensuring equal voice with men at the highest levels, which will contribute to a more gender balanced representation among social partners.
Ultimately, balanced gender representation will assist in ensuring that gender dimensions are mainstreamed in the social dialogue agenda.
The International Labour Organisation as a collaborating partner is also working for the promotion of gender equality in the world of work.
ILO‘s focus on gender equality has always constituted an integral part of its mandate.
The young women’s leadership initiative had both short and long term impacts on the trainees.
Amongst the short term impacts, young women trainees improved their knowledge base and skills on leadership, especially transformational leadership which is empowering, understanding personal mastery and personal branding and also facilitating intergenerational dialogue and strengthen women’s networks.
The ultimate long term impact included an acknowledgment and urgent call for increased representation of women in elective positions in the trade union movement and on company boards. Thus a young women’s mentorship and sponsorship programme has also been included.