PWI Brussels is delighted to announce a new Engaging Men Program, an initiative to engage male allies and develop a dialogue with them on the role they can play as change agents to support gender balance. In the past PWI Brussels was one of the pioneers to start the dialogue on how to engage men as allies for more gender balance in all levels of organisations.

We are proud to announce that the Program will be led by Robert Baker, Founder and CEO Potentia Talent Consulting, who is a long term PWN Global Ambassador and expert in engaging men in gender balance. He has extensive experience in getting men engaged in supporting gender equality. He is also a Trustee of One Loud Voice for Women and the Sister Sister Global Network as part of his efforts to support gender equality.

He is Vice-Chair of European Women on Boards and a Trustee of UN Women UK and selected by Management Today as an Agent of Change 2019, for his work in advancing gender balance. He was also elected as a Companion to the Chartered Management Institute, in recognition of the contribution he has made and continues to make to the future of leadership and management. He has been appointed "Disruptor in Residence" in Diversity & Inclusion at EDHEC Business School and the Investor Director at Talupp, the leading AI driven, experiential talent development platform. Additionally, he is a Director of Aspierations CIC, which aims to help people with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism achieve employment and develop fulfilling careers.

PWI Brussels believes it is time for a new dialogue, key to enable gender balance in the workplace and at home. We aim to support organisations in making faster progress in gender balance in the workplace. A crucial element of success is engaging male leaders and colleagues.

A Boston Consulting Group study shows that in companies where men are actively involved in gender equality, 96% report progress. Conversely, in companies without their engagement, a mere 30% report progress. This is not surprising, given that globally men represent some 75-80% of executives and some 60% of line managers. The decisions they make about the women in their companies and teams can make a huge difference to these women’s careers.

Our program to be launched in March 2025, is based on the learnings from successful initiatives globally and will:

· Focus on the research that shows the benefits to men and particularly male leaders from engaging in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and gender balance

· Support male leaders to develop their skills as inclusive leaders and very powerfully engage them by highlighting the benefits for them in their careers and in their personal lives

· Highlight the Voice of Women and enhance the awareness of these male leaders to the barriers and challenges women face in the workplace

· Tie this into how women and men can support each other to achieve greater impact.

The program will comprise: 1 Launch Event, 2 Workshops, and 1 final event, as per the following:

· Launch Event - Redefining Masculinity for the Modern Age: 20 March 2025, 18:30 - 21:30 hrs. This will be open to all genders.

· Workshop 1 - Why Men should become Allies for Gender Balance: 3 April 2025 15:00 - 18:00. This workshop is for men only.

· Workshop 2 - How to Become Inclusive Leaders: 24 April 2025, 15:00-18:00 hrs. This workshop is for men only.

· Closing Event - Men and women Working Together for Impact: 24 April 2025,19:00 – 22:00 hrs. This event will be open to all genders.

All elements of the Program will be in person and held in English.

Please email President@pwi.be to register for the program.