US institute unveils Centre for Women in Business

Rutgers Business School announces the launch of a new Centre for Women in Business that will combine the power of academic research and the resources of a committed alumni network to make an impact on gender equity in the business world. With insightful and innovative thought leadership, the centre will work to influence change on […]

Rutgers Business School announces the launch of a new Centre for Women in Business that will combine the power of academic research and the resources of a committed alumni network to make an impact on gender equity in the business world.

With insightful and innovative thought leadership, the centre will work to influence change on problems such as the gender wage gap, while also providing opportunities to empower working women and to develop women business leaders at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

A statement by the institute said the new Centre for Women in Business will work to foster inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

“Study after study has demonstrated that women are not equally compensated or represented at any level of business,” said Lisa Kaplowitz, a Professor of Professional Practice in finance and the centre’s founding director.

“We are really excited about the prospect of combining the talent of our alumni, faculty, and students to remove barriers and empower women to lead in a continuously evolving workforce.”

The centre will also build on the existing efforts and organisations at Rutgers Business School and Rutgers University to touch more women, both students and alumnae, in bigger and bolder ways through mentoring, workshops, scholarships and conferences.

Sangeeta Rao, an Assistant Dean of mentoring at Rutgers Business School, who took charge of an undergraduate programme called Women BUILD (Business Undergraduates in Leadership Development) five years ago, has seen the transformative power of the programme to build skills and confidence in groups of young women who support one another and are cultivated by a larger community of professional women.

“We hope to build on the programme’s success and extend its reach beyond undergraduates,”  Rao said.