On October 10, 2022, the GW Law Government Procurement Law Program was thrilled to host Professor Sope Williams. Professor Williams is the Head of the Department of Mercantile Law and the deputy director of the African Procurement Law Unit at Stellenbosch University in South Africa where she specializes in public procurement law, anti-corruption law, sustainable development law and commercial law.
FACULTY PRESENTATION
Professor Williams’s day began with a faculty presentation where she shared her latest research on gender-responsive procurement – the design and delivery of public contracts in a way that reduces gender inequalities. Professor Williams’s draft paper focused on the variety of methods countries use to advance gender equality through their procurement systems, including the award of public contracts to women owned businesses and gender responsive businesses. Her paper analyzes the legal, policy, and cultural barriers to gender responsive procurement and recommends measures to improve the award of public contracts to women owned businesses.
FALL 2022 KEYNOTE DINNER
Later that evening, we were pleased to host the Fall 2022 Government Procurement Keynote Dinner in honor of Professor Williams’s visit. GW Law faculty, members of the GW Law Government Contracts Advisory Council, alumni, and students came together for an evening of cocktails, dinner, conversation, and a wonderful keynote speech by Professor Williams.
