Stallion-Bajaj Alliance, the distributor of Bajaj 3-wheeler and 4-wheeler intracity smart cab, is perfecting plans to establish Africa’s first women-only assembly plant in Nigeria in line with its target of significantly growing its female representation to 35 percent by the end of 2022.
Also, the company, which aims at training and absorbing 500 female technicians by 2022, said it would be holding several training sessions for female riders, female assemblers and female mechanics before year end.
Meanwhile, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, Stallion-Bajaj Alliance would be welcoming a new set of female mechanics to the training programme. Already, it has trained and integrated 40 women into the VON assembly plant in Lagos, Nigeria.
Manish Rohtagi, managing director, Stallion-Bajaj Auto Keke Ltd, who spoke on the goal for the organisation during a recent media tour of the VON Assembling Plant in Lagos, said from the inception, Stallion-Bajaj Alliance has been driven by one goal, which is to build a more inclusive work space.
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“Women make up over half of the world’s population and are integral to the growth of the world economy. Therefore, Stallion-Bajaj Alliance has put gender equality at the forefront of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For Stallion-Bajaj, International Women’s Day is a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to ensure that more space is created for women to thrive,” he said.
He described the IWD as a reminder for the company to examine its processes and structures, to ensure gaps are closed, and that equal- opportunities are offered to women at all levels.
This month, according to him, Stallion-Bajaj celebrates women all around the world as it challenges itself as an organisation to continuously act on its commitment to gender equality.
On the impact of the programme, Ayomide Sanyaolu, one of the women assemblers said she is proud to be part of the exciting project.
“Being a member of the first cohort employed at the plant, I have had to learn, fail and relearn. It has been a challenging but fulfilling period in my life. Seeing the end product of our work, the Keke’s on the road gives me joy and job satisfaction. I am grateful to be part of the process,” she said.
