CARISCA will host quarterly women-focused webinars to promote gender inclusion in supply chain management.

CARISCA hosted its first webinar, Navigating the Gender Maze in Procurement and Supply Chain Management: An Expert View, on November 26, 2020. 

This webinar is the first in an ongoing series designed to foster a community of women in procurement, logistics, and supply chain management, to share insights, knowledge, and opportunities in an open forum. 

“The goal of the webinar is to identify and elevate the principal and crucial roles played by women and other disadvantaged groups in advancing development across Africa through the supply chain profession,” said Nathaniel Boso, Executive Director of CARISCA at KNUST, and Dean of KNUST’s business school.

Over 145 attended the webinar, and many participants are excited about future supply chain educational opportunities.

The moderator, Matilda Owusu-Bio, faculty member and senior technical advisor on gender and humanitarian supply chains for CARISCA, indicated that the involvement of women in all aspects of management can help boost the productivity of any business entity up to 30 percent. For this reason, she added that CARISCA seeks to engage women and other disadvantaged groups, especially those in procurement, logistics, and supply chain management, to empower them to pursue top leadership positions. 

She emphasized the importance of building a strong network between young professionals and women in supply chain positions through subsequent webinars, mentorship programs, and other activities.

The first distinguished speaker, Mrs. Stella Addo, Country Manager for the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), believes that “the gender maze is the complicated unequal treatment of people based on gender, sexuality, height, etc., in their profession.” 

Addo also noted that more female role models in supply chain management will embolden more women to pursue leadership positions. To solve this recurring problem, she presented essential tools needed to navigate this gender maze.

Madam Alice Zu, President of Procurement and Supply Chain Management Association (PROSMA) Ghana, encouraged women to be focused, determined, self-actualizing, and focus on building strong networks to advance their careers in a presently male-dominated profession. She further encouraged women to educate and familiarize themselves with the Public Procurement Laws and Regulations that govern the profession. She emphasized the need for women to be united and promote solidarity to push them to top leadership positions.