The managing director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Alfred Olajide, has been recognised as an advocate for gender equality by House of Rose Professionals through its 2022 List of Male Champions for Gender Equality.
The 2022 Male Champions for Gender Equality list celebrates male executives of global companies who are advocates of women in business and leadership positions and are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
According to House of Rose Professional, five factors were particularly used in the final determination of the 2022 Break the ceiling touch the sky list of Male Champions for gender equality – Active and visible advocacy for gender equality; Scale of influence; commitment to advancing women in leadership in their own organisations; supporting women to learn externally from other best in class organisations and investment in gender diversity and inclusion programming.
The managing director, while speaking at the 2022 Success and Leadership summit, said social bias and stereotypes are the major barriers against women in the corporate and entrepreneurial space, adding that it is important to build a gender-balanced workforce.
‘’The single most important factor in social and economic advancement is empowering women and girls, and it is quite refreshing to see more women emerging in leadership positions in leading companies, breaking glass ceilings, and utilizing their skills and knowledge for career breakthroughs,’’ Olajide stated.
The Coca-cola boss said he had come to realize that women are equally ambitious, if not more than men, noting that in numerous cases, they hold back due to a lack of confidence in their abilities to succeed in the face of challenges and their male counterparts.
“This is where companies come in. Businesses must consciously champion the gender equality agenda by embracing progressive policies and programs, providing safe and inclusive workplaces for women, fighting negative stereotypes, offering equal opportunities, and implementing equal pay,” he explained.
