IWD 2019: Zedvance Backs Gender Parity, Celebrates Female Employees

By Dipo Olowookere

As part of its commitment to push for gender equality, foremost consumer finance company, Zedvance Ltd, held an advocacy campaign in commemoration of the 2019 International Women’s Day.

At a mentorship session for female staff on Friday, March 8, 2019, the firm anchored the programme on the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, Balance for Better.

The event, which is part of Zedvance Ltd’s sustainability initiatives, took place at the company’s Marina office and had in attendance over 100 female staff, with renowned Marketing Communications expert, Mrs Oluwayemisi Mafe, facilitating it.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zedvance Limited, Mr Adedayo Amzat, emphasized that gender balance was more than a moral imperative or a “women’s issue.”

According to Mr Amzat, “Gender balance is at the core of what Zedvance stands for. All our employees have access to the same opportunities in career development, leadership and capacity building.

“By tapping into the full potential of men and women, Zedvance is stronger, more innovative, and better at serving its consumers nationwide.”

“Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to our culture and core values, fostering an innovative and collaborative work environment. Having a diverse workforce of people with different talents, perspectives, abilities and experiences enables Zedvance to serve customers better”, he added.

The guest speaker, Mrs Mafe, charged women to think equal, build smart and innovate for change, sharing her wealth of knowledge garnered from years in the corporate world.

“Don’t get too busy that you do not even have time to think about the things that you are so busy about. Don’t get too busy that you are bogged down with projects that need to get done and meetings that need to be attended and you have no time to think.

“Take a walk and deeply reflect on the way you are working and living to gain some real clarity into where you want to be professionally and personally.

“Create time for some serious reflection, introspection and self-examination so that you will keep learning from all you are doing. Thinkers are winners. You can’t afford to stop thinking. Think about how your great idea can be well executed, to transform your team, and your industry. Think about all that you have been reading about. Don’t stop thinking!” admonished Mrs Mafe.

Gender parity is fundamental to whether and how economies and societies thrive. Ensuring the full development and appropriate deployment of half of the world’s total talent pool has a vast bearing on the growth, competitiveness and future-readiness of economies and businesses worldwide.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.