The Executive Director, Women in Management and Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Hansatu Adegbite, has affirmed that women should be given more recognition and inclusion in board and management positions to inspire inclusion and equality in the organizational and decision-making of organizations, which is one of the core values of the non-profit organisation.
To this end, the 2024 theme for the International Women’s Day tagged ‘Inspire Inclusion’ identifies inspiring understanding and appreciation for women’s inclusion and contribution to creating a better world.
Speaking at an event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024 in Lagos, Hansatu stressed that this year’s theme ‘Inspire Inclusion’ is what WIMBIZ has been doing for the past 23 years.
“It is about inspiring women, empowering them to attain leadership positions in business, management and public service.
“Society is dealing with factors such as cultures that undermine the female presence through narrow notions of cultural fit and masculine leadership constructs that exclude women, complex dynamics around managing strategic relationships, and work-life balance issues.
“When women are inspired to embrace inclusion, they experience a profound sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
“It’s about them to be economically empowered, to be leaders in their various sectors and industry and empowering them to have a voice, as inspiring inclusion is what WIMBIZ is already known for,” she stated.
In her remark, a Non-Executive Director, Seven Up Bottling Company, Ngozi Anyaegbunam, tasked women to show interest by taking steps towards attaining leadership positions which leads to more inclusivity at management levels and in public service.
“While women are dealing with all kinds of things, when we share and speak with one voice, it makes a lot of difference. We have several departments that are for women and have several sectors that have always had women in charge.
“And what we should do first is check those women who have been placed in that positions, have they delivered because if women are doing extremely well, I’ll encourage governments to use more of us if the performance is not abysmal, then that shows the responsibility given to us we have been able to carry it out satisfactorily,” she stated.
Chairman, WIMBIZ BoT, Bisi Adeyemi, noted that the theme ‘Inspire Inclusion’ and the event showcased women and their achievements as well as a call for inclusion at each strata of decision/policy formation.
She reiterated, “This is one of the core values of Wimbiz to inspire women by bringing women who had accomplished in their careers to tell other women how they’ve done it with mentoring programs, as it is not enough about inspiring but having a formal program where younger people are mentored in their careers and professions as well.”
She advocated that women should
first, inspire themselves and believe in their dreams while being inspired by other women.
Cross sections of participants at the event expressed that with a deliberate and concerted effort by corporate organisations, government and society at large, gender inequality can be reduced with agenda setting, orientation, and sensitisation, adding that a lot can be achieved when both genders work as a united force.
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