Nashua Mobile recognised as ICT sector’s most gender empowered compan

Nashua Mobile was recognised as the Top Gender Empowered Company: ICT for 2009 at the Top Women Awards ceremony at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg on 18 November. The event was attended by many of South Africa’s most respected businesspeople and government officials.

The aim of the awards – presented by Topco Media in association with the Top Women in Business and Government publication – is to recognise the public and private sectors in their efforts to empower women and achieve gender equality. Previous winners of Top Women awards include the likes of KPMG, The Media Shop, ACSA and Professor Shirley Zinn of Nedbank Group Limted.

Nashua Mobile was shortlisted for its Top Women Award 2009 alongside the likes of Business Connexion, Torque-IT and Workgroup. The awards go to the companies that demonstrate the most success in tackling and improving gender empowerment in their respective sector. Important factors are measurable and accountable leadership that is committed to developing women in the company and the per capita expenditure on training, education and development of women.

To be eligible for nomination, companies needed to show that 33.33% of overall staff and at least 25% of overall middle and senior management are female; that they have an annual turnover of more R50 million and at least 20 employees; and that they have a formal gender equity policy and a clear commitment to gender empowerment through social responsibility programmes.

At Nashua Mobile, 51% of all employees are female, as are 34% of management and 32% of senior management.

Says Teresa Badenhorst: HR & training director at Nashua Mobile: “This award is a milestone for Nashua Mobile as we continue to roll out our transformation programme. As an equal opportunity company that invests heavily in training, management development and succession planning, we have been able to create an environment where many talented women have been able to flourish.”

“The award is a confirmation of Nashua Mobile’s commitment to gender empowerment and equality, and a great accomplishment for the company,” says Jessie Makhudu, head of transformation at Nashua Mobile.