More Women in the Boardroom

The launch of the "Strengthening Women's Leadership in Jamaica" programme.

The reasons offered are indeed what we know to be true among successful Jamaican female leaders: women executives are more likely to enlist the opinions of experts, employees and colleagues when developing strategies and making decisions; women are more capable of multitasking given the numerous roles they play and generally tend to focus on overall long term outcomes when making business decisions.

Besides the potential financial benefits, having female leaders at the helm allows for the infusion of values based transformational leadership; an approach essential for the economic and social times now facing the country. It also supports the fulfilment of the United Nations third Millennium Development Goal of gender equality and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women CEDAW. It is against this background that the Women’s Resources and Outreach Centre in partnership with the United Nations Democracy Fund UNDEF is implementing an ambitious project geared at increasing the participation of women on Boards and Commissions at the national level as well as in Community Based Organizations. 

Through a series of island wide communication and training programmes dubbed “Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Jamaica” the WROC/UNDEF project aims to prepare more women for representation at some of the highest levels of public and private sector governance. 

During the three-day training sessions which are scheduled to begin in Kingston this month and continue in Mandeville, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios into 2010, experienced and knowledgeable trainers will deliver presentations around several empowering themes:

• Gender and Good Governance
• National Commitments to Gender Equality and Equity
• Transformational Leadership & Strategic Communication
• Corporate Governance
• Financial Statements for Business Decision-Making

The training programme is a direct response to the findings of the WROC/Canadian International Development Agency CIDA study Gender and Governance: Implications for the Participation of Women on Boards on Commissions in Jamaica published earlier this year. While women have made significant strides in educational and professional development, their participation has only moved by 4 % on public boards and by 2 % on private sector boards over 10 years (1998-2007). Their representation remains inequitable at 16 % on private sector boards and 33% on public boards, the study says. Indeed public boards play the significant role of ensuring that good management procedures are followed as it pertains to the use of public resources. The role of such boards help to determine the economic and social well being of society and therefore equal participation of women is a goal to be sought after. 

Addressing one of the core findings of the WROC/CIDA study, the training sessions will deal with the matter of women’s preparedness to participate in leadership. Women are in fact influenced by a variety of factors when making decisions about their professional involvement and advancement. The study noted that they sometimes “face an internal hurdle in developing the confidence and determination to make themselves seen in a culture which largely embraces women in a supportive role.”

In this regard, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Jamaica Money Market Brokers Donna Duncan Scott has given the training programme a thumbs up. During an interview on popular radio programme Beyond the Headlines on Wednesday September 17, Mrs. Duncan Scott noted that while women's participation in leadership at the executive level was significant, it didn’t transcend to the levels of public and private sector boards where the real influence lies. She encouraged women to embrace their unique female nurturing qualities and use them to effect successful client relations policies in business. This notwithstanding, she stressed that culture change is necessary in society in order for gender equity in corporate leadership to be realized.

She added that JMMB does have a challenge finding women willing to assume certain leadership positions and pointed to strategic policy that will be implemented within the medium term.

Gender Advocate and Chairperson of WROC Linnette Vassell emphasizes that women in leadership is a not only a gender issue but a human rights issue, noting that “fifty one percent of the Jamaican population are women and they therefore should have proportional representation in our democracy.”  Continuing she stresses that “women and men have different interests and perspectives in important areas, and it is important that these varying experiences be utilised to tackle the tremendous challenges we face at all levels and in all areas of our lives….it is really  a matter of deepening our democracy and strengthening our nation”. 

On a global scale, gender equality and women’s empowerment is increasingly a pivotal goal that is receiving increased attention. Among the United Nation’s ten Millennium Development Goals MDGs, gender equity is listed at number three. The UN has also entered into force the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which has been ratified by 185 countries, including Jamaica. The Convention at its core calls for the equal or proportional participation of women in all spheres of life.

For more information on the WROC/UNDEF project, registration details and the mandate to raise national awareness of women’s rights in leadership and democracy send your emails to communications@wrocjamaica.org.