NEVER GIVE UP!

“I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.” – Marie Curie

Dear PWA Members, Partners, and Friends,

A true icon. A pioneer for gender equality & a feminist hero. She was a woman who never gave up, despite many devastating hard times, she kept going. She fought, she failed, but she never gave up!

When the world is fundamentally shaken, what do we need to do? How has COVID impacted women? The coronavirus pandemic could wipe out at least six years’ worth of progress for women in the workplace, according to a sobering new report from McKinsey and women’s advocacy nonprofit Lean In.

One of the things I love about PWA is that we challenge each other “to stretch”, to “thrive”, and to go “beyond” what we think we are capable of. It is a place that you can come back to again and again throughout your career to reconnect, regroup, and re-energize. You don’t have a powerful professional network? JOIN us! – we have more than a 25-year track record of making a difference. We ensure that the PWA remains strong and that our members stay informed, inspired, connected, and engaged.

One-third of core job skills will change in the next five years, requiring greater cognitive flexibility, adaptability, and learning agility as core competencies. Our need to perform is being accelerated in a VUCA world. We see an increasing reliance on the ability to connect, collaborate, and co-create in an increasingly networked world and organization.

My promise to you is that PWA will continue to provide its members with three things that we’ve always been known for: connection, education, and support.

• Connection – we need each other now more than ever. PWA Board and I will continue to re-imagine creative ways to keep us all connected. We will continue to encourage camaraderie with the networking conneXion opportunities that we have always been known for.
• Education – COVID-19 and a New Learning Strategy, PWA remains dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional e-conferences and BOLD program to help you continue to advance in your career. We will offer a variety of programs that are relevant to you and designed to meet you where you are, in both your personal and professional lives.
• Support – We will continue to be a place of support. You will be supported throughout the year by me and the incredible Board you elected. Moreover, PWA engages in dialogue on all levels and actively support #InclusioneDonna standing with other 52 associations all together to reduce the employment gap between women and men. A movement with initiatives to advance the mission to close the gap towards gender equity.

The world has entered a time of great transformation. We don’t know what will happen next or how long it will take to get through the pandemic. Collectively, as I hope we will meet the challenges of the times and embrace the opportunities of the future. Never give up!

Sincerely,
Gerlie Saura
President