ATLANTA (November 19, 2014): Womenetics, a leading global resource that helps business prosper by advancing women in the workplace, hosted its 4th Annual Global Women’s Initiative Symposium, in Chicago, where business leaders convened to discuss Women as the Competitive Advantage: Redefining a Workplace that Works for Women and Men. As part of these efforts, Womenetics, in partnership with Discover Card, awarded five students $15,000 in scholarship funds, via the Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship (AAGS) essay competition.

“We created the Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship program as a way to personally engage students in the women’s issues of today, shaping innovative and collaborative solutions for tomorrow,” says Elisabeth Marchant, president and CEO of Womenetics. “Womenetics seeks to inspire change that will make a difference in the lives of women and business around the globe,” Marchant continues. “We recognize that companies who actively promote more women to leadership will become the game changers of the 21st century,” Marchant concludes.

Over 200 applications from more than 170 universities across 36 states were received. The Honorable Melanne Verveer, the first U.S. Ambassador on Global Women’s Issues selected the essay of Georgia Institute of Technology’s Sara Grace Miller as a finalist, receiving $2500. Miller’s essay explored the importance of role models as a mechanism to bridge the confidence gap between men and women in her AAGS entry. With her winnings, she plans to further her studies and advocate for workforce policy on advancing women in the workplace.  

Contestants researched topics exploring the obstacles to creating a truly balanced workplace for the 21st century, and then composed a 2,500-word focused on solutions. The finalists shared their research on a panel discussion at the symposium alongside trailblazing women leaders in impactful roles, spanning various industries, where the students provided the next generation perspective on women as the competitive advantage in tomorrow’s workplace.

For information and to enter, visit Womenetics.com

About Womenetics

Womenetics provides B2B services that increase access, development and retention of the best female professional talent.  Striving to accelerate women’s career success, Womenetics brings ambitious women together with dynamic leaders; deliver impactful training content and inspiring conferences; and provides avenues for female development—clear solutions to reframe entrenched ideas and reduce gender disparities in the workplace.

About GWI

Global Women’s Initiative is an annual symposium that brings together top female talent, thought leaders and innovators to develop practices and new approaches to harness the powerful impact of women in the workplace. The conference examines new ideas and real-life strategies for increasing individuals’ capabilities that resonate across the enterprise. For more information about the history of the Global Women’s Initiative, visit https://www.womenetics.com/Events/GWI-Symposium