Nominations for WiB awards on

By EMMANUEL MAIPE
WESTPAC has officially opened the nominations for its 2012 Women in Business Awards in five categories to recognise women with outstanding achievements.
The awards aim to recognise outstanding achievements made by Papua New Guinea women in the public sector, the private sector, and the non- governmental organisation sector.
Westpac’s managing director Ashleigh Matheson, speaking at the launching of the nominations last Thursday in Port Moresby, took into consideration the barriers for women especially in PNG society to be recognised and achieve their goals.
He said the awards would lift the profile of women and assist in establishing business networks to help them reach their personal and business goals.
“Creating gender equity recognises that our society does not operate on a level playing field,” Matheson said.
There were historical and social disadvantages that can withhold women from participating and benefiting from all that our community had to offer, he said.
The awards will be in five categories:
l    The PricewaterhouseCoopers Private and Corporate Sector Award to recognise outstanding achievement by a female manager in the private and corporate sector who has contributed significantly to the performance of a company or business unit;
l    The Steamships Public Sector Award to recognise outstanding achievement by female manager in the public sector who has contributed significantly to the performance of any government service;
l    The SP Brewery Entrepreneur Awards to recognise outstanding achievement by a woman with at least 50% shareholder in an organisation in the field of innovation for new products or services;
l    The Trukai Company Responsibility Award to recognise outstanding achievement by a female manager working in the not- for- profit or non- governmental organisation sector; and
l    The Institute of Banking and Business Management (IBBM) Young Achiever’s Award  to recognise outstanding achievement by a young woman in any category under the age of 30. The winner of this award will receive a scholarship sponsored by IBBM.
\The prize is valued up to K26, 000.