The Network of Women Ministers and Leaders in Environment (NWMLE) has adopted a Declaration on Gender and Climate Change that will be presented during COP18 in Doha, Qatar, according to SANews. The NWMLE, which was formed in Helsinki, Finland in 2002, has a mandate to ensure that women are empowered in order for them to actively participate in environmental management, economic growth, eradication of poverty and job creation. Women attending the NWMLE expressed the need to have gender issues discussed in the main agenda of conferences and not treated as a side event or issue. In the male-dominated world of freight the challenges for women entering the field are not necessarily gender-related, says CEO of NTP Logistics, Ntokozo Mogorosi. A human resources practitioner by profession, she worked in the field at SAA and the Road Accident Fund before joining logistics major Sebenza nine years ago in the human resources department. She swiftly moved up the ranks to take over as managing director, a post she held for seven years before moving into the hot seat at NTP Logistics last year. “The challenge for me has always been people who have been there for a long time, particularly because I have a very short background in the industry,” she told FTW. “But if you really look at the industry, logistics is about the management of cash so if you can manage your cash efficiently and have quality systems in place, you can run that business successfully.” She also points out that women don’t come from a culture of oppression and entitlement, and therefore tend to have long-standing client relationships – which are the bedrock of any successful company. Mogorosi has always believed that in the freight industry you don’t have tools. “Your people are your tools. They give you an edge.” Ethics and good corporate governance are also crucial elements to the success of any company, she added. “Those I emphasise all the time.” Mogorosi was voted most influential woman in the freight industry in a survey undertaken by CEO magazine a few years ago and also served on the board of Saaff (SA Association of Freight Forwarders). While she is no longer a board member she continues to play a role as a foot soldier. Born in Kwa-Zulu Natal, she matriculated at the Sacred Heart High School and went on to graduate with a degree in social work from the University of Fort Hare. Her post-graduate degree was in human resources at Wits Business School, a solid foundation for a career that continues to take her to new heights. CAPTION Ntokozo Mogorosi … ‘Your people give you the edge.’
