On International Women’s Day Association for Project Management calls on project professionals to join its Women in Project Management community.
6th March 2020 – Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, is encouraging women who are experiencing stress in the workplace to join its professional networks for guidance and support.
A new study* by APM has found that two-thirds (66 percent) of female project professionals have experienced stress as a result of their main project.
When asked what had contributed to their stress levels, the factors most frequently cited by women were:
- Work/life balance suffering due to their main project (cited by 42 percent of female respondents)
- Feeling they have too much to do (cited by 39 percent of female respondents)
Editor’s note: For more on mental health in project management, see also New Research Lays Bare The Poor Mental Health of Construction Project Managers
APM’s Women in Project Management Special Interest Group (WiPM SIG), founded in 1993, provides a network of support to all women working in project management including events, networking, personal development, and an active social media community. WiPM’s network actively promotes investment in gender diversity and supports women, at whatever stage in their career, addressing the demands imposed on those working in the project profession, from stress management through to project leadership.
WiPM also hosts an annual Women in Project Management Conference, which will take place on 24th September 2020 at the QE2 Centre, London. The conference will see a host of inspirational speakers talking about a diverse range of topics relevant to women in the project profession.
Bookings for the WiPM conference will open on Monday 9th March. To register your interest and to book visit www.apm.org.uk/apm-wipm-conference/
Debbie Dore, APM’s chief executive, said:
“Project-based work has long been characterised as time-pressured, fast-paced and dynamic. Its professionals typically encounter high expectations and severe pressure to deliver projects on time and within budget and to reconcile changes. With mental health awareness increasing, it is important that we, as a professional body, take a closer look at what steps can be taken to make improvements in this area.
“APM has created a task force, working with corporate and other organisations to develop initiatives around wellness for the profession, to facilitate discussions and developing improvements. Our WiPM community is part of that. Our activities for women in the profession, such as our WiPM conference and specific interest group, will continue to promote mental health awareness and provide a valuable network of support to female project professionals.”