Tbilisi, Georgia, October 23, 2009—IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, is training women at senior positions
in Georgia to improve knowledge of corporate governance issues and enable
women to contribute to further development of efficient decision-making,
transparency, and accountability in companies.
The initiative, designed to create new opportunities for businesswomen
in Georgia, is a part of IFC’s global strategy to support women’s participation
in business as an important component of its mission to stimulate sustainable
economic growth. IFC hosted a workshop for women executives and board
members to improve awareness on the role of women in corporate performance.
It brought together representatives of private sector, the government,
and academia to discuss the latest gender-related trends in the country
and identify areas for improvement.
Maia Tevzadze, Project Manager for IFC’s Georgia Corporate Governance
Project, said, “We believe that improved knowledge of corporate governance
issues will help eliminate often-hidden gender-based barriers for businesswomen,
contribute to increasing number of women at senior positions, and result
in better governance and transparency in companies, thus stimulating development.”
Workshop participants discussed the role of gender as a corporate
performance driver, IFC’s gender activities, and trends in Europe and
Central Asia. Rusudan Kervalishvili, the Deputy Chairman of the Georgian
Parliament, who chairs the Consultative Council on Gender Equality Issues
under the Chairman of the Parliament, introduced the government’s latest
gender initiatives.
Gender equality is part of the agenda of the two IFC advisory projects
in Georgia. These are the IFC Georgia Corporate Governance Project,
which works to improve the corporate governance practices of Georgian companies
and banks, and the IFC Georgia Investment Climate Project, which aims to
improve the investment climate in Georgia by reducing administrative barriers
to running and operating businesses.
IFC’s donor partners for these projects are BP and its co-venturers in
oil and gas projects, and the Canadian International Development Agency.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people
to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic
growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development,
mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation
services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5
billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing countries
during the financial crisis. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
For more information about BP, visit www.bp.com.
For more information about CIDA, visit www.cida-acdi.gc.ca.
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