Judge Business School began their Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) on June 19 with an inaugural conference that focused on women’s empowerment and leadership issues, according to a press release from the school.
A number of speakers were present at the event so they could deliver their thoughts on some of the obstacles that women face in the business world. Brenda Trenowden, Global Chair of the 30% Club and Head of FIG Europe, proposed that the issue facing the advancement of women in business is less a matter of a “glass ceiling” than it is a “glass wall,” where men ride the escalator of promotion while women are left the trudge up the stairs, often causing them to grow discouraged.
Cristoph Lock, Director of Judge, was at the event to speak about some of what the school has done and will be doing in the future to champion the advancement of women in the workplace. Judge formally partnered with the 30% Club, a business-led organization that fights for gender equality in the workplace, which will be sponsoring two scholarships for women to attend the school. Judge will also be sponsoring a Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Business Weekly magazine. They have also increased the ratio of women to men in their MBA class and added six women as faculty members, including four senior positions.
Siobhan Sweeney, MBA student and co-founder of the WLI at Judge, was thrilled with the outcome. “This Initiative has really been a fantastic collaboration between staff, students and faculty within the School and the wider community,” she said in a press release.