The “Women in Communication, Marketing and Public Relations” Conference is the largest gathering of women in Communication, Marketing and Public Relations in Mozambique, and seeks to celebrate the women who have stood out in the industry in each edition.
As usual, Profile spoke to Edson Rufai, Executive Coordinator of COMARP, who gave an insight into the platform.
Profile Mozambique: How did the initiative come about?
Edson Rufai: The initiative arose in the context of the first edition of the Communication, Marketing and Public Relations Forum, also known as the art-forum, which took place in September 2023. This initiative is in line with the theme of the Women’s Month celebrations, which this year focuses on “Investing in Women and Accelerating Progress”.
We believe that holding this event would be an ideal opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women in the communications sector and show that women working in this sector make a significant contribution and can achieve great things.
PM: What are the aims of the “Women in COMARP” awards?
ER: The idea is to recognize, or elect, 30 women who have stood out in a visible way in the sector, through the initiatives they promote and the work they do, both for their own companies and for the sector as a whole. Therefore, we want to demonstrate through this nomination that women are active and are promoting major transformations.
On the other hand, we want the event to bring inspiration, influencing other women, especially younger students, to realize that being a female professional in publishing, marketing or public relations can add value to the country, showing that there is nothing that can stand in the way of great achievements.
And finally, at this event we sought to explore the challenge that women face in the sector. Only 34% of women are active in the market, holding leadership positions in their companies, while the majority are still in much lower positions.
The intention is to show that there is still a global challenge facing women in the sector, especially in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality by 2030, with 50% representation for men and women. This means that there is still a way to go to achieve this equality.
MP: Regarding the criteria for participation, who can apply? What are the eligibility criteria?
ER: In principle, the forum is an opportunity open to all women working in the Communications, Marketing, Public Relations and related fields. This includes journalists, digital influencers, advertising professionals, among other sectors. To apply, you need to be at least 18 years old and Mozambican. In addition, one of the criteria is to have at least three years’ experience in the sector.
Other requirements are considered advantageous and place the candidate in a favorable position, such as having held leadership or management positions, having developed innovative projects or having positively impacted the area in which they work. However, these additional criteria do not disqualify those who do not have them.
PM: From a results point of view, what do you expect at the end of this year? What will be considered the peak moment of the event?
ER: Overall, the aim is to meet the 30 most influential women in our sector. That’s the highlight of the event, having the opportunity to meet them. In addition, through the debates we will be promoting, we want to inspire more young and empowered women to get involved in the communications and public relations sector, showing them the opportunities for growth that exist. In this context, women are encouraged to compete on an equal footing with men.
PM: When is the event scheduled for, and what are the entry conditions for those interested?
ER: The priority is for the event to take place on May 10 in Maputo. The venue has not yet been confirmed, but we have two options in mind. The first option is the BCI media library, where we hope to hold the event, but we are still waiting for confirmation. If the BCI doesn’t confirm, we have a second option.
The event is scheduled to take place from 4pm to 6pm or 7pm, and we are still finalizing the program. It’s important to note that the event is open to all women, not excluding men. We will also be extending special invitations to some men who work in the sector, as well as inviting students to take part. This is an opportunity to learn from other women and be inspired by professionals in the sector.
PM: Any additional information about the event?
ER: I think that as we’ve explored the key points that we need to know about this event, I just want to emphasize that the nominees will be judged by a jury. It’s not the organization that will nominate, but the jury that will determine.
The jury will be made up of media companies, public figures who work in the communications sector. So it’s these people who will evaluate the nominations, and this will determine the transparency factor.
Find out more at: COMARP Forum
Brief Profile
Master in Digital Media Management, Postgraduate in Project Management and Degree in Journalism.
Founder of the largest Communication, Marketing and Public Relations Forum in Mozambique (COMARP FORUM).
He has experience working in the areas of Communication, Digital Marketing, Event Organization and Press Relations for national and international non-governmental organizations operating in Mozambique.
In the business field, he has stood out as an entrepreneur, being a founding partner and Executive Director of COME AGENCY, an agency specializing in providing Communication, Marketing and Event services.
