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ANNOUNCEMENT: HERS-SA Distinguished as TOP GENDER EMPOWERED COMPANY OF 2022

We are honoured to formally announce that Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA) has been officially recognized and certified as a TOP GENDER EMPOWERED COMPANY FOR THE YEAR 2022. This esteemed recognition is bestowed upon institutions that exhibit an outstanding dedication to the sustainable advancement and empowerment of women, thereby making substantial contributions to the domain of gender equity.

 

This accolade is a reflection of the steadfast commitment from our esteemed staff, our distinguished board members, the academic institutions with whom we partner, and our various stakeholders, all of whom have been instrumental in our pursuit of gender transformation within the higher education sector.

 

For further information regarding this significant acknowledgment, please refer to the image on the left, which provides a link to our detailed profile. We cordially invite you to join us in celebrating this achievement as we continue our scholarly and strategic efforts towards fostering an equitable and inclusive academic environment.

The history of

HERS-SA

The Inspiring Journey of HERS-SA: Pioneering Women’s Leadership in Higher Education

Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA) stands as a beacon of progress, a self-sustaining non-profit organization (NPO) registered with the Department of Social Development in September 2003. Dedicated to the advancement and leadership development of women within the higher education sector, HERS-SA has been tirelessly advocating for and contributing to the career progression of women through meticulously designed programmes. Our commitment is to foster gender equity in South African higher education, aligning our efforts with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

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Learning
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Leading

All about

HERS International

HERS (Higher Education Resource Services), our sister programme in the USA, is an educational non-profit organisation which provides leadership and management development for women in higher education administration. Since 1972, HERS has served the higher education community, preparing more than 4 300 women faculty and administrators for leadership roles. Today HERS Alumnae are active on over 1 200 campuses across the USA, South Africa, Botswana, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Micronesia, and the Caribbean region. The campuses served include public and private institutions in all Carnegie categories. Currently, over 500 HERS alumnae now serve in senior level positions.

HERS Institutes provide an intensive 12-day curriculum that prepares women faculty and administrators for institutional leadership roles. The Institutes focus on knowledge, skills and perspectives for achieving institutional priorities and maximizing institutional resources. HERS Institute participants work with HERS Faculty and HERS Alumnae to develop the professional development plans and networks needed for advancing as leaders in higher education administration.

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Women Leadership Development

Empowering women leaders in the South African Higher Education sector.

Advocacy

Advocating for gender equity and wellness in Higher Education.

Research

Doing research on women leadership and any other barriers to equity

Collaboration &
Networks

Collaborating with various organisations that enable us to attain our goals.

What make HERS-SA different

HERS-SA differentiates itself from its competitors (generally larger national companies) through competitive pricing and the development of unique leadership development and training that speaks to the higher education context. This training is facilitated by staff and associates who have worked and understand the higher education context. We recognise that the delivery of training facilitation is complex and relies on the connection and collaboration of many. HERS-SA’s programmes and projects are delivered through an empowerment model. This approach, we believe, is critical for proper development and growth. HERS-SA’s mode of operation is two-fold: 1) prevention, through capacity development, and 2) intervention, through advocacy, training, research and awareness creation.

Opportunity

HERS-SA and HELM, USAf are the only two NGOs offering leadership development for women leaders in higher education. While HELM has an unfair advantage as it is coordinated by university management, which means more access to funding, HERS-SA has to depend more on income generated from the ACADEMY. HERS-SA has an opportunity to offer its service to TVET Colleges in South Africa, which consists of 50 colleges. Currently, no organisation is specifically focusing on this sector. HERS-SA can expand its offering beyond the ACADEMY and include annual training, coaching, and mentorship.

HERS-SA has recently appointed three new Board Members, who bring expertise and a wealth of experience in law and finances. The Board oversee the running and strategic direction of the organisation, provide managerial oversight and monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

The board can now also appoint an Advisory Committee consisting of experts in different domains who will support the Board of directors and staff with technical advice. An advisory committee is a joint working group that assists in strategic planning, policy development and fundraising. Areas of the Advisory group expertise will include leadership development, research, international development and relations, gender-based violence, transformation and policy development.

Service overview

HERS-SA main offering is the annual ACADEMY hosted in September. The ACADEMY is a week-long interactive professional development opportunity for women in higher education in South Africa and internationally. This programme is aimed at women in or aspiring to hold senior leadership positions and typically attracts on average 80 women.


  • HERS-SA mini-ACADEMY, a three-day programme offered exclusively to HERS alumnae who have participated in a residential HERS-SA or HERS programme in South Africa and/or in the USA.
  • The annual training programme focuses on matters such as self-leadership, leading others, and understanding university processes, amongst others.
  • Coaching and Mentorship
  • HERS-SA offers customised development programmes.
  • Webinar “power hour” sessions on “just on time topics”.
  • Organisational development interventions/initiatives

Socio-ecological training & development model framework

HERS-SA and HELM, USAf are the only two NGOs offering leadership development for women leaders in higher education. While HELM has an unfair advantage as it is coordinated by university management, which means more access to funding, HERS-SA has to depend more on income generated from the ACADEMY. HERS-SA has an opportunity to offer its service to TVET Colleges in South Africa, which consists of 50 colleges. Currently, no organisation is specifically focusing on this sector. HERS-SA can expand its offering beyond the ACADEMY and include annual training, coaching, and mentorship.

HERS-SA has recently appointed three new Board Members, who bring expertise and a wealth of experience in law and finances. The Board oversee the running and strategic direction of the organisation, provide managerial oversight and monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

The board can now also appoint an Advisory Committee consisting of experts in different domains who will support the Board of directors and staff with technical advice. An advisory committee is a joint working group that assists in strategic planning, policy development and fundraising. Areas of the Advisory group expertise will include leadership development, research, international development and relations, gender-based violence, transformation and policy development.

Over the years, women who have attended our programmes have represented higher education institutions based in South Africa, Africa, and other countries. HERS-SA ACADEMY alumnae comprise over 1 400 women, whom we endeavour to keep in touch with on an ongoing basis through our mini-ACADEMY, newsletters and other activities. Many of our alumnae occupy senior leadership positions in higher education and other sectors such as national government departments and research agencies.

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Walter Sisulu University

Key partners

Beyond engaging with the women leaders in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), HERS-SA has formed some strategic relationships and engagement with the following organisations:

Government

  • Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities
  • Department of Higher Education and Training

NGOs

  • USAf (HELM and TMF)
  • Ilitha Labantu
  • International Education Association in South Africa (IEASA)
  • HELTASA
  • Commission of Gender Equality (CGE)
  • UN Women

Universities

  • VUT Transformation office
  • CPUT Transformation office
  • UCT Business School
  • NMU Centre for Gender Studies

Other

  • 4D Health
  • Reality Group

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