By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A leading mobility app, Bolt, has called on nations and organisations to give women the chance to explore their God-given talents and contribute to the development of society.
At a capacity-building summit on financial independence, leadership, and self-defence held in Lagos recently, the Senior Public Policy Manager for West and Central Africa at Bolt, Ms Weyinmi Aghadiuno, said, “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to the fabric of Bolt.”
“This year’s summit, we decided to take it a step further by delving beyond tech into the well-being of female entrepreneurs on our platforms and our female employees.
“After deliberating on the key issues impacting their well-being, we decided to focus the summit on tools to promote financial independence and safety, which tie into the core values of Bolt,” she said.
“At Bolt, we know that women are resourceful and dependable. They have the brainpower, technical skills, intuition, and wisdom needed to move industries and nations forward.
“We encourage all organisations to take a step forward by empowering the women in their communities, even beyond their immediate employees. Hundreds are impacted when one woman is empowered,” Ms Aghadiuno submitted at the event held at the Grand Junction Hall, Landmark Towers, on Monday.
The senior member of the company explained that the programme, themed Promoting Financial Inclusion and Independence for Women, was organised this year to support the reduction of the gender gap across employment and entrepreneurship.
She further said it was in line with the company’s commitment to the Nigeria2Equal program with the International Finance Corporation and building an inclusive society for women and overall economic growth.
In her keynote presentation, the founder of Money Africa, Ms Tosin Olaseinde, stressed that organisations need to contribute a quota to inclusive growth for women in Nigeria.
“Financial literacy is an extremely important lesson for Nigerian women. Research has shown that when money is in the hands of women, it boosts the entire family and community, creating a ripple effect.
“It is important for companies to play their parts in creating inclusive growth, especially for women, because when employees are financially literate, they are happier and more productive,” she noted.
Bolt used the occasion to announce the proposed launch of a digital community for its female drivers. It is designed to provide a safe space and direct access to support staff and tools when necessary.
