Latest news with #femaleleadership
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- Mail & Guardian
MBDA celebrates women who shape city's future
MBDA Board Chair, Glenda Perumal. The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) joins the nation in celebrating Women's Day on 9 August 2025 to honour the contributions of women who are helping to shape the social, economic and physical fabric of Nelson Mandela Bay. As an agency mandated to drive urban renewal and inclusive development, the MBDA recognises that the future of any city depends on the full and equal participation of all its people. This means elevating the voices of women in every aspect of planning and implementation. Over the years, women's voices have shaped some of the MBDA's most meaningful projects. 'Women bring a vital perspective to urban development,' says Glenda Perumal, Chair of the Mandela Bay Development Agency Board, 'especially when it comes to safety, access, sustainability and community cohesion.' This understanding is reflected across the MBDA's leadership. The agency's Operations arm is led by women, driving some of the Bay's most complex infrastructure and urban renewal projects. Key portfolios such as Psychosocial Development, Special Projects, Risk and Audit, the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre and others also benefit from female leadership. At governance level, the value of inclusive leadership is powerfully conveyed by Perumal. 'Being entrusted with this role in the city where I was born and raised is deeply meaningful to me. I understand the challenges our communities face from my own lived experience,' she says. 'Serving on this board means being able to guide decisions that affect the people of my city. I'm committed to ensuring that our work is both visionary and grounded in the everyday needs of our residents. It's a responsibility I carry with pride and care.' Her thoughts are echoed by fellow Board Member, Pinky Kondlo, who emphasises the need for a forward-thinking mindset: 'In every decision we make, we need to think long term. A development mindset means always asking how today's actions contribute to building tomorrow's opportunities. Women bring a powerful lens to that kind of thinking because we often hold a dual view that is both strategic and deeply human. That balance is essential to making development work.' The importance of women's leadership is clear to the MBDA's Operations Executive, Zinhle Thwala-Zulu, who oversees key construction and infrastructure projects: 'When we plan and deliver our projects, we shape how people live in the city,' she explains. 'On site, every decision matters. We have to think about timelines, quality, safety and a whole host of other factors. I make sure we deliver what's been promised, while also paying attention to the impact on the surrounding community. This requires technical skills and an understanding of how every decision affects people's daily lives. Our processes have to be embedded in community needs.' On the ground, women lead with community impact efforts. Lerato Muzah is the MBDA's Project Manager for Psycho-Social Projects. 'My role is about understanding people: their hopes, their challenges and their environment. Development has got to include that human element, otherwise it risks missing the point. People's well-being cannot be separated from it. Progress depends on how safe and connected people feel in their neighbourhoods, and in my experience, women are often the first to notice these changes in their communities.' Similarly, the Agency's Special Projects Manager, Isabel Myburgh-Vumazonke, highlights how the MBDA champions the drive to entrench culture and identity in development projects. 'Our city's identity matters. Whether I'm working on a heritage project or promoting creative industries, I try to make sure projects speak to where we've come from and where we're headed. The aim is to create spaces and projects that people connect with.' Behind the scenes, accountability is strengthened by the work of the Risk, Internal Audit and Compliance Manager, Tembela Bacela. 'My job is to help the organisation stay accountable to ensure clean governance. That means being alert, thinking critically and helping management to see risks and mitigate them effectively.' Female leadership extends to agency-operated sites, namely the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre. Managing stadium operations demands precision and teamwork, and the leadership team aims to deliver excellence to the city and to visitors alike. 'Every partnership or booking is an opportunity to enhance the stadium's economic role,' says Commercial Head, Zizipho Makwabe. 'I focus on creating value for the stadium and for the wider community. We all benefit if the stadium is a vibrant and busy place.' Singathwa Poswa, Research, Innovation and Sustainability Manager at the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre, feels strongly about the role of her team in supporting young people in Nelson Mandela Bay. 'I want every young person who walks into the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre to feel like they belong in science, especially girls. We envision the centre as a vibrant hub of STEM, innovation and skills development, where young minds are empowered to explore, create and grow. Our focus is on building confidence and curiosity about the knowledge and opportunities that this kind of learning opens up. Exposure to the possibilities that STEMI careers offer can change the direction of a young person's life in fundamental and exciting ways.' 'Honouring Women's Day also means recognising that there remains much to be done,' concludes Perumal. 'We cannot build a thriving, inclusive city without weaving women's experiences and ideas into its blueprint.'
CBS News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
One woman in Denver Public Schools paving the way for girls in sports
Female leadership in school sports has been on the decline in recent years, according to Beth Hulac, a Denver Public Schools Athletics Operations Manager. She is determined to reverse that trend through new events. A Colorado native and DPS alum, Hulac says her love for sports began with soccer in childhood and carried through college. But more than competition, sports gave her something deeper. "Sports for me is what saved me from spending too much time thinking about how I looked and allowed me to change my focus into how powerful and strong my body could be," Hulac said. Now overseeing multiple athletic programs for DPS, she's on a mission to help young girls feel that same sense of empowerment. "Perfection is never my goal," she said. "But I hope that publicly struggling... really shows girls that leadership is attainable and that you don't have to be perfect at something to strive for it." Two-and-a-half years ago, she launched the Women in Sports Leadership program. It is designed to uplift and support female athletes and aspiring leaders. It includes a districtwide Female Athlete Summit that's focused on confidence-building, mentorship and connection. "I think we've seen a decline even in female athletes participating in sports... I hope that part of my work inspires girls to feel connected enough to participate," she said. Hulac says middle school is a critical time to introduce girls to sports -- especially with new sports like flag football. "Middle school is still an age where kids can try sports for the first time," she said. "I'm really excited to increase those opportunities for Denver Public Schools kids." Through her leadership, Hulac hopes to inspire a new generation of female athletes not just to play, but to lead. On Saturday, Aug. 16 CBS Colorado is proud to bring you the 2nd Annual Girls in the Game, a free in-person event that will be held at the University of Denver's Hamilton Gymnasium to encourage and inspire girls to consider a career in sports. The event is being led by CBS Colorado Sports Anchor, Romi Bean and is designed to encourage, inspire, and empower girls to consider a career in sports on and off the field. That includes careers in sports journalism, sports marketing, coaching, strength training, operations, sports medicine and much more.
Zawya
06-08-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Gulf Bank continues driving women's empowerment with WOW program
As part of its ongoing commitment to women's empowerment and fostering an inclusive workplace, Gulf Bank recently organized a series of events under its Women of Wisdom (WOW) program. The events, attended by numerous female leaders and employees, aimed to support women both professionally and personally. The leadership session titled 'The Elegant Power: How Women Lead with Strength and Warmth,' was held at Gulf Bank's training center in Crystal Tower. The session was facilitated by Dina Al-Waheab, a organizational psychologist, executive coach, and founder of DEEP Consulting and SpeakUp Kuwait. The session focused on the importance of balancing assertiveness and warmth in female leadership by exploring the psychological and physiological factors that influence leadership behaviors. Key topics included the unique pressures women face in the workplace, the impact of mental health and hormones on leadership style, and practical tools to boost confidence and leadership presence. Another engaging session titled 'Speak Your Brand' was delivered by renowned coach and consultant Rehab Al-Tawari, which drew strong engagement from early career employees across various departments. The session emphasized the power of personal branding in the workplace and encouraged employees to own their narratives, communicate with confidence, and align their values with their professional goals. In addition, Gulf Bank launched a new wellness initiative for female employees called 'Her Balance', designed to promote work-life balance through regular Pilates Reformer and Barre sessions. This wellness experience supports both physical and mental health. 'Her Balance' also provides an excellent opportunity for employees to connect with colleagues beyond the workplace, fostering teamwork, inclusion, and positivity within the work environment. peaking about the sessions, Mr. Hamed AlTamimi, Assistant General Manager – Human Resources at Gulf Bank said: 'At Gulf Bank, we believe that a thriving workplace culture is one where employees feel seen, supported, and inspired. Through the Women of Wisdom (WOW) program, we're creating intentional spaces for dialogue, development, and connection empowering women across all stages of their careers to grow, lead, and shape our culture….' He added; 'These initiatives reflect Gulf Bank's clear strategic commitment to supporting female talent and creating a healthy, motivating work environment that enhances productivity and job satisfaction. They also align with the Bank's broader efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, and build a balanced, sustainable corporate culture'. Launched in 2017, the Women of Wisdom (WOW) program is a flagship internal initiative aimed at empowering women within the Bank and the wider community. It supports women's career growth and leadership ambitions through monthly gatherings that discuss topics related to work-life balance and professional development.
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Guernsey Election 2025: Eleven women elected to States
The number of female deputies in the States of Guernsey is rising by three, from eight in the current assembly to Lindsay de Sausmarez and Yvonne Burford topped the polls, with Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Tina Bury coming in the top Andrea Dudley-Owen, Sue Aldwell and Victoria Oliver lost their made up 33% of candidates this year, compared to 24% in 2020. Outside the top 10, first-time candidate Sally Rochester came in was followed by Jennifer Strachan, Munazza Malik, Jayne Ozanne and Haley Camp, who are all new to the Humphreys, another new candidate and member of the Forward Guernsey party, and former deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel were the last two candidates over the line. Deputy Tina Bury was re-elected for a second term, coming eighth."It's great to see so many women at the top and more in the list as a whole. I think it has the potential to change the dynamic of the States."Tom Rylatt, a member of the Forward Guernsey party, was the youngest candidate successful in this said: "I think a States that more broadly reflects our community is one that's better placed to serve our community as well."So I think it's fantastic that we have this diverse melting pot of an assembly now." In 2020, eight women were elected, but the number was higher in 2016, with Green is the Chair of Women in Public Life, who's been credited by some candidates as a driving force behind more women standing for said: "We're heading in the right direction, but we've lost three current female deputies I wasn't expecting."Mr Rylatt said, "Almost no-one has worked harder than Shelaine to increase female representation in the States.""She has made a concerted effort over the last five years."
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
MI6 has appointed its first female leader. What took it so long?
MI6 has never had a female head in its 116-year history – until now. How fitting that the first woman should be called Blaise Metreweli. That forename has it all: derring-do (courtesy of Modesty Blaise), onomatopoeia, modernity. Metreweli will take over in the autumn as C, the real-life version of M from James Bond. She currently runs Q branch, MI6's technology division, which apparently is named after the Bond quartermaster. No fictional Q has ever been female, but in real life at least two women, including Metreweli, are thought to have held the role. M can be male or female, except now they succeed or fail by how much they resemble Judi Dench, so all of them, including the incumbent, Ralph Fiennes, are de facto female. In other words, while there is a strong cultural presumption that the computers bro is indeed a bro, there is no ambient fictional expectation that the head of the Secret Intelligence Service should be male. If it has taken the agency more than a century to tick this particular diversity box, it has only itself to blame. If you squint at it, it could be precisely because of Ian Fleming, via his cinematic legacy, that the real MI6 has been so slow. M is a hard-to-please-parent archetype – Bond seeks M's approval, yet at some critical juncture he always has to disobey M in order to self-actualise, creating a heady cocktail of vexation and admiration that M, being ultimately a smart and patriotic character, manages to choke down in the interests of her majesty (well, his majesty now, but we don't have time for whether or not heads of state are better off male or female). The screen far prefers it when this stern but loving authority figure is a woman – Dench was recently joined by Kristin Scott Thomas, the head of MI5 in Slow Horses, two bookends representing the full range of everyone by whom a spy would want to be told off. In real life, though, it seems an executive decision was made and never revisited until this year: secret agents can't work for their proxy mum; they can accept censure only from their pretend dad. If you look at the professions from which women are typically excluded at the highest levels, the grounds for exclusion are never the same twice – it's almost as if there is no fixed conception of femininity. Tech is notably male-dominated, on the assumption that women aren't going to get it because it's too hard, yet will ruin things by being too serious-minded. Yes, it's hard to square, but it's helpfully distilled in Mountainhead, Jesse Armstrong's latest satire, which features a retreat that abides by the rule 'no meals, no deals, no heels'. Nutrition, commerce and gender diversity would kill the vibe. In politics, wherever it's impossible for a woman to be elected – in the US, it's the top job; in the UK, it's the Labour party – it's usually because she is too 'schoolmarmish'. This is always delivered as a personal critique of an individual woman, as if Hillary Clinton or Harriet Harman had been born under an unlucky star, too close to the blackboard or the severe hairline. The real objection – the MI6-adjacent 'I love women and some of my best friends are women, I just don't like it when they have authority over me' – must remain as unspoken as it is obvious. In boardrooms, women are considered an impediment for the opposite traits: not enough authority, too much amiability, not enough killer instinct, too much human sympathy. Research has shown repeatedly that gender diversity on boards is linked to higher profits, so the determination to exclude women is purely emotional, which is a cute irony, given that it's supposed to be women who mess everything up by being too emotional. I would have way less of a problem with gender-exclusionary workplaces if they would pick a lane and establish exactly what the issue is, between women being too serious and not serious enough, too authoritative and too flaky. Metreweli doubtless rose to the top by ignoring such silliness and powering through; good luck to her. Sign up to The Week in Patriarchy Get Arwa Mahdawi's weekly recap of the most important stories on feminism and sexism and those fighting for equality after newsletter promotion Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
