Profile

APM Women in Project Management Specific Interest Group

What is the group's purpose?

WiPM addresses the development and promotion of women working in project management environments, and also the development of the project management discipline through the contribution of women. We support both men and women in their efforts to maintain a balance between the many demands imposed on them whilst striving to retain their own identity.

We attempt to fulfil our aims primarily through giving opportunities to network; providing a contact and information base for those wanting to move on/make changes; promoting successful ways of working; and undertaking a PR role for women in project-based industries.

Project management relies on good leadership and team working which can be enhanced by promoting individual strengths. Much has been said about the potential for improvements in organisational practices to be found in examining the differences in management styles between men and women, whilst little has been done to develop organisational processes needed to realise this potential. The future relies on changes in working practices, involving both men and women. WiPM seeks to capture and develop good ideas and translate them into practice.

Our objectives are to:

• Identify barriers facing women at work and to seek innovative approaches to overcome them
  
• Identify particular strengths that women bring to project situations and to promote them
  
• Raise awareness of male-type and female-type attributes and to promote the use of collective strengths
  
• Seek successful ventures that promote good working practices involving both men and women and to make them widely known  

• By holding evening events throughout the year on all sorts of subject areas relating to project management, For example, returning to work, mentoring, being a woman, positive working practices, etc.
  
• By organising conferences. We ran our inaugural conference 'How effective is your organisation at teamworking?' in November 1994. Our second 'Managing your career in a changing environment' in March 1997 followed  by 'New Viewpoints - New Strengths' on the 9th of March, 1999. Since then we have held biennial conferences in June 2001, June 2003, June 2005 and June 2007. Our most recent conference was entitled “New ways of working – the courage to do it your way”. We have just announced that our next conference will take place on 25^th June 2009 at the IET, Savoy Place, London. For further details please click here.
  
• By running and contributing to training courses and workshops. For example, a course for aspiring or new project managers; a workshop on mentoring, and so on.
  
• By responding to enquiries from women who want to find out more about getting into project management, with a focus on school leavers/graduates and returners to work.
  
• By maintaining a networking register of women working in project management.
  
• By writing articles for professional publications.
  
• By maintaining good links with male colleagues in project management - working on the principle of diversity rather than separation/segregation.
  
• By initiating, publishing and contributing to relevant research.  

Penny Pullan, Chair
Kerry Pike, Treasurer
Susie Boyce, Committe Member
Oluchi Uduku, Committe Member

To contact the committee please click here

For a list of future and past events please click here

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