South
African conference focuses
on The Gender Benefit: ICT Women in Leadership. The Republic of South Africa
aims to overcome divisions on the gender front, so telecoms giant MTN, one of
the country's most successful multinationals, recently organized a two-day
'Women in Leadership Conference'.
The
Center for Creative Leadership's (CCL) Dr Ancella Livers participated in this
event as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator. Dr Livers is a senior
faculty member at CCL and co-author of the book "Leading in Black and
White: Working across the Racial Divide."
Dr. Livers'
keynote address, directed to an audience of 250 MTN South Africa executives -
male and female - was 'The Gender Benefit: ICT Women in Leadership'. The
workshop centered on women and leadership: creative thinking techniques,
problem-solving and innovation.
"No
matter the scale, leadership never happens alone and its impact is always
broader than the decision makers," said Dr. Livers. "This means the
matters we speak of today are hugely significant - not because we say they are,
but simply because they are."
"For
example, at 51 percent, women are a little more than half of the world's
population, and in South Africa this number is fifty-two percent," she
continues. "This means what we say and do today has an impact on half of
the country and potentially half of the world. It is important."
Based in
South Africa, the MTN Group is the continent's leading telecoms provider with
operations in 21 countries. Commenting on the issues underlying the decision to
hold the conference Themba Nyathi, Chief Human Resources Officer of MTN South
Africa, says: "Due to MTN's significant strategic
focus on women development, this conference has been a decisive approach to
ensure full participation of women in telecommunications and ICT."
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