Rahma Ahmed
By Ahmed Rahma
A British multinational banking and financial services provider, Standard Chartered Bank, has charged women to take up responsibilities that support their growth and visibility in the society.
The financial institution recently organised a seminar tagged Choose to Challenge with over 100 speakers from various sectors in attendance.
The event was in commemoration of the 2021 International Women’s Day and it emphasised the importance of organisational support for women in the workplace and the role business leaders play in ensuring women are provided with enabling environments to help them thrive.
In their discussions, the speakers also encouraged women to courageously challenge societal status quos, gender bias and disparities through excellence in service and responsibilities; dedicated hard work on the job, continuous self-development through the acquisition of relevant skills, creating opportunities for younger female colleagues to learn and grow; collaborating more strategically with each other and with male colleagues.
Some of the panellists were Asue Ighodalo, the founding partner of Banwo and Ighodalo Law Firm; Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary/CEO Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission; Joke Bakare – Managing Director, Medplus Pharmacy; Bisi Lamikanra – Former Partner KPMG Nigeria and Mobola Faloye – Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria.
At the event, Korede Adenowo, Executive Director, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Nigeria & West Africa, Standard Chartered said, “IWD as we know it is a day set aside to celebrate female role models and allies, and an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to gender equality as we continue building an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.
“For us at the Bank, it is not a one-off celebration but an always-on agenda that we prioritize across our markets especially in Nigeria.
“We always #choosetochallenge: whether it is through community programmes like Goal and our Women in Tech incubators, or products and services designed to support female entrepreneurs; we continue to empower women with the confidence, skills, knowledge, tools and opportunities to become leaders in their families, communities and industries.
“As an organisation, we are proud to not only support women but to speak up and take action to fight for gender equality and create a level playing field for all.”
