Plant Equipment and Hire November 2017 | Page 19

2017 marks 90 years of partnership between Barloworld Equipment and Caterpillar. corporations, non-listed companies and state- owned entities that are at the forefront of driving gender mainstreaming in corporate South Africa through good practise and excellence. “We are extremely honoured and humbled by the recognition we have received. Not only does it highlight our commitment to gender equality, transformation, and empowerment, it bears testament to the fact that our 40/20 strategy is already bearing fruit,” says Samantha Swanepoel, divisional executive director: Marketing & Digital. “The Awards we won are as a result of a concerted and collective effort across our organisation to excel and lead the way in driving gender equality.” As Colleen Larsen, CE Business Engage, founder and organiser of the Gender Mainstreaming Awards, so succinctly puts it, “It’s understand the strengths, capabilities, values, and potential of the women we have selected for this programme and to integrate that into helping the organisation and themselves achieve their goals.” And this strategy is clearly paying off. Barloworld Equipment was recently recognised for its efforts in gender equality, which picked u p awards in four of the nine categories at the recent PwC-sponsored Gender Mainstreaming Awards in September. The company walked away with the Investing in Young Women Award, and was placed second in the Women Empowerment in Community and Economic Empowerment Awards, as well as third in the Women on Boards Award. Established in 2013, the awards aim to encourage, promote, and recognise listed Barloworld has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 20th century. not a women’s issue; it’s a business issue. Women should not be fitting into the economy, they should be shaping it.” Swanepoel believes the awards demonstrate that the future for women at Barloworld Equipment is bright, “Diversity and inclusion are core values. With a dedicated team addressing gender imbalances in the company by creating an inclusive and engaged culture that drives performance and promotes success, the opportunities to excel are everywhere.” n “ Diversity, including gender diversity, and inclusion are key focus areas for Barloworld Equipment’s HR strategy.”