By Tomisin Fatoba
In a bid to promote gender equality and inclusivity, business owners have been called upon to prioritise diversity, implement tangible policies and foster cultures that value and promote gender equality across all sectors.
This disclosure was during a recent webinar titled ‘Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion,’ which took place in celebration of International Women’s Day and was hosted by the PAC Foundation.
The webinar featured discussions exploring gender equality and inclusion in various sectors, including healthcare, environmental sustainability, and the workplace highlighted the importance of addressing barriers to achieving gender equity.
Olusola Agbeyi, head of HCM and corporate services, PAC Holdings, noted the need to create awareness and provide training for managers and leaders to mitigate the effects of unconscious bias. “Addressing these biases would lay a solid foundation for inclusivity and promote awareness, education, and training,” she said.
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Also, Patience Ugbaja, managing director, Africa Health Care Services, highlighted the importance of reaching women in the informal sector through existing structures such as unions and associations.
She also emphasised on the need to provide access to technology and information, stating “it is to ensure that all women can benefit from initiatives promoting gender equality.”
Temitope Richard-Banji, managing partner at Accenture UK, emphasised that inclusion is about allowing everyone to thrive, compete fairly, and bring forth their distinctiveness. He encouraged women to step up and not defeat themselves before the battle, urging them to take on leadership roles and compete without self-imposed limitations.
Afolasade Nubi, advisory board member at PAC Foundation and environmentalist, highlighted the gendered perspective missing from conversations on environmental sustainability. She said “it is important to include women in decision-making processes and leadership roles, particularly in policy-making, to address the impact of environmental issues on women’s health and livelihoods.”
Nubi also discussed the underrepresentation of women in the renewable energy sector, calling for more education, training, and visibility of women in STEM fields. “We need scholarships, mentorship, and networking opportunities to encourage more women to pursue careers in these fields,” she said.
