Vodafone Ireland Launches Week of Activity to Support International Women’s Day
05 March 2017
Key Highlights:
- Ireland is one of 26 countries selected to be part of Vodafone ReConnect Programme, helping women return to the workplace via refresher training and flexible conditions
- Week-long programme of activity will feature special talk from Sophie Spence, World Rugby Women's Player of the Year nominee in 2015 and Irish Rugby Team player at 2014 World Cup
- Series of seminars for Vodafone staff on Women in Finance and Women in Technology by leading females in these sectors
5th March 2017: Vodafone Ireland is today launching a week-long programme of activity to mark International Women’s Day, with a series of events designed to inspire and educate women in the workplace.
In addition, Vodafone is launching its global ReConnect initiative today across 26 countries to provide career opportunities for women who have been out of the workforce but would like to return on a fulltime or flexible basis. Ireland is one of the countries in which ReConnect will be rolled out and will seek to help women return to management and frontline roles through the programme.
ReConnect in Ireland will proactively reach-out to women on career breaks to educate them on the initiative, provide refresher training and enable women to re-enter the workforce on a flexible basis with Vodafone’s support.
The week-long programme of activities to celebrate International Women’s Day will include workshops and seminars, with leading female speakers invited to share their expertise and insights. Among the external speakers will be Margaret Ewing, a recognised leader in finance, and Dame Stephanie Shirley, who set up an IT business enabling businesses to employ female professionals on a part-time basis.
Sophie Spence, one of Ireland’s best known female rugby players, will also deliver a talk to Vodafone staff. Sophie represented Ireland at the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup and the following year was nominated for the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.
Vodafone Ireland’s senior male leaders will also play a significant role during the week. Many of its senior male leaders have participated on a programme called MARC, ‘ Men Advocating for Real Change’ and now act as change agents within Vodafone to empower women in the workplace. They will hold workshops during the week sharing their learning with other male and female colleagues.
As part of its global programme of activity connected with International Women’s Day, Vodafone will also provide mobile devices to women in developing economies, providing them with increased connectivity to many areas of daily life, from education and healthcare to business creation.
Anne O’Leary, CEO at Vodafone Ireland said, “Celebrating International Women’s Day is hugely important for us and we’re looking forward to this week’s events.
“Vodafone Ireland is committed to being one of the best employers in Ireland for women through encouraging the talent, knowledge and skills that exist within the workforce. Our ReConnect programme is central to that ambition. It offers flexible return to work initiatives and refresher training, and proactively reaches out to women who have had a career break and want to return to work but may be experiencing obstacles.
“While there have clearly been great strides made in gender equality in the workplace, there is always more that can to be done and at Vodafone Ireland, we have an important role to play to continue to drive this forward.’’
James Magill, HR Director at Vodafone Ireland said, “We are delighted to launch a week of activities to support International Women’s Day. The aim is not only to celebrate the key role women play in business globally but to also inspire and empower them to maximise their potential. Through thought provoking topics of discussion and guest speakers, we hope to encourage our team to overcome gender stereotypes and continue to strive for success.”
Ends
For further information, contact:
Clodagh O’Hagan, Vodafone Ireland (087) 9084055
Ailish Smith, PSG Plus (086) 4062051
About Vodafone Group
Vodafone is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 49 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 31 December 2016, Vodafone had 470 million mobile customers and 14.3 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.
