ExxonMobil: Global Women In Management Program Celebrates A Decade Of Empowering Women Leaders

ExxonMobil’s Global Women in Management (GWIM) program is celebrating 10 years in partnership with Plan International for the company’s initiative to help women fulfill their economic potential and become catalysts for change in their community.

GWIM workshops equip women in the nonprofit sector or civil society with leadership, technical and professional skills that help them strengthen organizations and impact their communities.

“With ExxonMobil’s support, the GWIM program has provided intense training and skills development for more than 700 women representing nearly 500 organizations, which in turn supports economic development around the world,” said Manager of Corporate Citizenship Karen Matusic. “Armed with the resources they need, program graduates go on to become effective leaders of community-focused organizations.”

To date, ExxonMobil has invested more than $100 million to help implement programs that have directly benefited tens of thousands of women in more than 90 countries around the world.

GWIM recently held its 63rd workshop in Bogota, Colombia. More than 25 women from nonprofits and community organizations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru participated in the training, expanding their skill sets and strengthening their role as leaders.

“The session was fundamental in strengthening my management and leadership skills,” said a participant from the Colombia workshop. “Also learning from one another and the sharing of our experiences helped us all to generate innovative ideas and apply it in our community, empowering women in the process.”

Empowering one woman has a significant ripple effect. Graduates of GWIM not only go on to improve their organizations, they often “pay it forward” by helping to empower other women. Cathy Alex, president of Advancing PNG: Women Leaders Network and a 2012 graduate, used her training and business expertise to mentor women in her home country of Papua New Guinea. For example, with Alex’s help, a woman from her community was able to secure a role as school council representative, a position that previously had been held only by men. Another mentee went on to become the first female mayor of a nearby town.