Westpac urges locals to nominate women for awards

WITH nominations for the 2012 Westpac Women in Business Awards set to close on Tuesday, managing director Ashleigh Matheson is encouraging community members to nominate a female with high achievements for the awards.
The awards, in their sixth consecutive year, recognise Papua New Guinean women’s achievements in five categories across private, public, government and not-for-profit sectors plus one for women under the age of 30.
Matheson said the awards helped address the critical under-representation of women in the country by calling out a number of exceptional business women who were making an impressive contribution to the country’s development.
“Westpac acknowledges the challenges that women, girls and their families in Papua New Guinea face in their pursuit of gaining meaningful education, employment and being treated as equals in society,” he said.
Award categories for 2012:
l The PricewaterhouseCoopers Private & Corporate Sector Award recognises 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 recognises outstanding achievement by a female manager in the public sector who has contributed significantly to the performance of any government service.
l The SP Brewery Entrepreneur Award recognises outstanding achievement by a woman with at least a 50% shareholding in an organisation in the field of innovation for new products or services.
l The Trukai Community Responsibility Award recognises outstanding achievement by a female manager working in the not-for profit or non-government organisation sector.
l The IBBM Young Achiever’s Award recognises outstanding achievement by a young woman in any category under the age of 30.
The ultimate business of the year award will go to one of the category winners who will receive a crystal trophy, a Brian Bell gift voucher valued at K2,800 and a trip to attend one of the Australian executive women’s leadership symposiums next year.
Matheson wants members of the community to encourage women they know to enter the awards.
Nomination forms are available online at westpac.com.pg or from all Westpac branches. 
Winners will be announced at an awards dinner presentation in Port Moresby on Oct 17.