Women are the backbone of society, the strength of families, and the architects of the future – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
This quote effectively captures the prevailing perspective and concept that inspires us to commemorate the extraordinary women who are propelling change and leaving a profound mark on our society today.
In honor of the global celebration of women, we hosted a virtual and interactive session to educate the women of Sunbeth on the crucial topics of gender equality, innovation, and technology and empower them to play an active role in advancing these areas.
The Webinar which followed this year’s overarching International Women’s day theme “DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” underlines the #EmbraceEquity campaign which is geared towards promoting women’s inclusion and empowerment.
The Webinar began with a welcome address from the Executive Director Oyinkansola who took the opportunity to appreciate the entire staff of Sunbeth, particularly the amazing women making meaningful contributions to the company’s success. She also pointed out that this is the first official event ever held by Sunbeth to celebrate women in the organization and it’s a testament to the company’s effort to promote gender equality and women empowerment.
The Managing Director was generous in his commendation and appreciation of all women during his keynote address. He characterized women as the cornerstone of society, playing a pivotal role in nurturing it. He went on to reaffirm Sunbeth’s dedication to supporting women and assured the audience that the company will redouble its efforts to promote equity in all its dealings.
The interactive session featured four speakers who offered their valuable perspectives on the significance of amplifying women’s voices in society, emphasizing the need for women to be represented not just in traditional domestic roles but also in administrative, creative, and leadership positions.
The first speaker, Oluwafemi Akinyomi, discussed innovation and technology and their relationship to gender balance. He highlighted that women are significantly underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) ecosystem, accounting for only around 25% of the total workforce.
He emphasized the importance of creating opportunities and platforms for women to make significant contributions and have their voices heard in various male-dominated fields. He further argued that women bring diverse perspectives to discussions and can provide meaningful insights to address challenges in these domains.
He proceeded to give examples of ways to promote gender equality and inclusion in the STEM space. He identified the following practices as methods to encourage and support women’s participation in the STEM and leadership ecosystems.
- Providing access to educational resources and digital skills training.
- Encouraging and accepting ideas from women in leadership conversations
- Giving productivity leave with considerations for situations peculiar to women such as when they get their monthly discharge
- Creating/finding and funding opportunities for women.
- Investing in women and their ideas
He ended his speech by charging the audience to break the gender bias and work on creating a space where women can achieve mega growth.
Guest Speaker, Prof. Olubukola Ajayi gave a more in-depth perspective on how women can balance their careers, marriage, and motherhood. She cited planning and the ability to multitask as key ingredients to achieve balance. According to her, women must learn to live for today and plan for tomorrow.
She also encouraged women to leave spaces for rest in their plans to avoid burnout. She urged them to avoid sacrificing their sleep and create time for themselves.
The third speaker, Mr. Ibraheem Ganiyu, adopted a more personal approach in his address. He began by delving into the historical roots of gender bias, which are often entrenched in religious and cultural beliefs. He then highlighted that, despite the pervasive gender bias, women make significant contributions to society in many ways that often go unrecognized.
According to him, women are the CEOs of their homes and the bedrock of every successful marriage. He also stated that women are intelligent nation-builders and can multiply anything given to them. Hence, they deserve more recognition in the society.
In conclusion, he asserted that women should be encouraged to play an active role in nation-building and politics, as they possess unique qualities that often make them better leaders than men.
The final speaker, Mr. Christian Onuoha, added the perfect finishing touch by hailing all women as heroines. He praised their exceptional multitasking abilities and unwavering support, emphasizing that women often work behind the scenes to ensure the comfort and success of others.
In essence, he encapsulated the key takeaways from the webinar, stating that if anyone wants something done correctly, they should entrust it to a woman.
At Sunbeth, we believe that women possess extraordinary abilities and are capable of achieving remarkable feats when given the opportunity and resources. We celebrate their contributions and remain committed to providing a platform where their voices can be heard and valued as equals, regardless of the context or stakes.
