Kazeem Owoseni
In its quest to encourage and deepen gender equality in Africa, the telecommunication network, Airtel Nigeria has launched Women’s network.
Women Network is a platform created by Airtel, to empower and mentor women to become global leaders while also breaking stereotypes and closing gender gaps.
However, the launch of the first women’s App in Nigeria, which was held at the airtel headquarters in Banana Island Lagos recently, kicked off with a discussing around empowering women to become global leaders.
The coversation, which was led by the Former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arunma Oteh, was themed, “Empowering Global Leaders.”
While delivering her lecture, The former Treasurer and a Vice President of the World Bank, Oteh said: “The ability of brands like Airtel to bring innovations like this, means they can do better than the others.
“I like that Airtel is being intentional about women’s empowerment and they recognize that they are not doing women a favour, rather the empowerment of women is good for the business,” she said;
She however commended the brand for driving gender equity and also applauded the male employees of the organization for supporting women, to launch of Airtel’s Women Network.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Airtel Business, Ogo Ofomata, who represented the company’s Chief Executive Director, Krishna Menon, said: “We are an equal opportunity employer and it is embedded in our DNA to be fair, just and respectful.
“Airtel is committed to women advancement and achievements, both internally and externally, and out of many other initiatives, we have recently demonstrated this through our premium social investment platform ‘Airtel Touching Lives.”
“Through ‘Airtel Touching Lives’, we have not only provided relief and succour to thousands of Nigerians but we have also thrown our full weight behind the Nigerian woman, helping them own their craft and even empowering women in technology, ”
Delivering her speech at the event, Director Human Resources, Airtel Nigeria, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias, said, “Over the years Airtel women have contributed immensely to the success of the organizations and Airtel recognizes this and is committed to ensuring that the women thrive.
“We are currently at 25% and our target is to grow women’s representation at top-level management to 30% before the end of the year.
“To generally drive women inclusion, especially in technology, part of what Airtel has done is to promote digital financial inclusion by registering and training women as Smart-cash PSB agents, at no cost,” she stated.
