SA NEWS
Cummins Africa Middle
East (AME) emerged a
major winner at the Gender
Mainstreaming Awards held
at Johannesburg in September.
The awards are an initiative
of the Business Engage
Association NPC, sponsored
by PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC) and aim to encourage
private sector buy-in to
achieve more meaningful
representation of women in
mainstream business.
Entrants had to comply
with international best
practice criteria described
in a publication entitled
Best Practices in Gender
Mainstreaming in the Private
Sector. In total, Cummins
AME was short-listed as
a finalist in five categories
the Community’ categories.
For its win in the
‘Equal Representation &
Participation’ category, the
judges cited the following
Cummins AME initiatives:
Its 2021 gender aspirational
goals, a project to increase
the representation of women
in science and engineering;
its Business AcuWomen
development programme to
enhance business acumen
needed to transition into
commercial-type roles; and its
‘Lean in’ Conversation Starters
to equip women with skills to
overcome limiting beliefs and
other barriers.
For its win in the
‘Mainstreaming Gender and
Disability’ category, the judges
cited its Cheese Factory Project
Cummins gets kudos for gender
initiatives
In total, Cummins AME was short-listed as a finalist in five categories,
and ultimately won three.
who would otherwise be
unemployed,” explains Lamona
Rajah, Diversity & Inclusion
leader at Cummins AME.
Gino Butera, vice president,
Power Generation at Cummins
Inc won the ‘Inclusive Leader
Award’, bestowed upon leaders
who live out the value of
inclusion in all they do and
“We enhanced the physical environment and provided
education to increase production efficiency, thereby enabling a
sustainable source of income for women who would otherwise
be unemployed.”
and ultimately won three,
competing with top companies
such as Vodacom, Absa,
Barloworld, PPC, Thomson
Reuters, Standard Chartered,
AngloGold Ashanti and De
Beers. Cummins AME was a
runner-up in the ‘Investing
in Young Women’ and
‘Empowerment of Women in
www.quarryonline.co.za
in Abu Dhabi. This provides
work for disabled women
in a society where disability
and gender constitute a
double barrier. “We enhanced
the physical environment
and provided education to
increase production efficiency,
thereby enabling a sustainable
source of income for women
who are completely vested in
the empowerment of women
throughout the organisations
they represent, irrespective of
role or rank.
Rajah explains that
Cummins AME launched a
Gender Diversity Strategy
in September 2017. “While
we had significant strides in
gender diversity over the past
few years, we recognise the
need for an integrated strategy
that recognises the factors
impacting heavy industry in
particular, as well as taking
into account the broader
socio-economic, political and
cultural environment.”
“Our initiatives range from
development programmes
to help women advance
their careers, to engagement
sessions speaking about
practice challenges they face
and addressing these. We
provide a platform for us to
equip women with the skills
and tactics to achieve their
personal aspirations and thrive
in the workplace.”
Aspirational gender goals
across all career levels has seen
gender diversity increase at
all levels in the company, with
33% women on the executive
leadership team. The Women’s
Employee Resource Group is a
forum for connecting women
in the workplace.
QUARRY SA | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018_7