As we commemorate the 2024 International Women’s Day, various symposiums will once again delve into age-old discussions surrounding women’s empowerment and gender equality. Aligned with this year’s theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ there will be dialogues on creating a more equitable world by providing equal opportunities for women in various fields, irrespective of their backgrounds.
Despite the attention, few countries and organisations are committed to actualizing this dream. A report by the United Nations Women in 2023, said that since the Global Goals were signed in 2015, no country has achieved gender equality. At the current rate of progress, over 340 million women and girls, an estimated 8 per cent of the world’s female population, will live in extreme poverty by 2030. According to the report, it could take close to 300 years.
To drive gender inclusion, and ultimately attain equality, there’s a strong call for private organisations, who are the major employers of labour, to make the initiative part of their corporate value.
One of the organisations visibly implementing this in Nigeria is MultiChoice. Beyond the media attention that gender equality attracts yearly during this period, the company has displayed a full commitment to the course through top management appointments and content focus.
Women in key positions
MultiChoice Nigeria has been a vivid example of organisations giving women opportunities at the top management level. Key appointments in recent years attest to this. “We have brilliant and hardworking women as heads of some of our most important operations at MultiChoice. Our senior management team is of an almost equal gender split,” said MultiChoice West Africa CEO, John Ugbe.
MultiChoice’s entertainment business is content-driven, and notably, this key department for the West African market, is headed by a distinguished woman, Dr. Busola Tejumola, who was recently elected as a distinguished member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Science.
MultiChoice Nigeria has also proven to be a workplace for career growth and development for women, with the Executive Head of DStv Media Sales, Doris Ohanugo, as a perfect example. Ohanugo joined MultiChoice in 2012 as the Sponsorship Manager, DStv Media Sales, and was later promoted to the position of Regional Sales Manager, a role she occupied until her appointment to the current post in 2022.
Another testament to career growth opportunities for women at MultiChoice is Caroline Oghuma, the Executive Head of Corporate Affairs, at MultiChoice West Africa. Oghuma rose to the post in 2017, after serving as the PR Manager at DStv for three years.
Female Sports Coverage
In addition to providing equal workplace opportunities for women, MultiChoice has also shown commitment to celebrating women’s strides and achievements in sports. The SuperSport “Here For Her Campaign”, which ran across the SuperSport channels for most of 2023 is still fresh in memory. The campaign drew audiences’ attention across Africa to exciting women’s sporting events throughout the year.
To drive home the message, MultiChoice unveiled an African female football icon, Asisat Oshoala, as a brand ambassador, as part of the campaign. The climax was the FIFA Women’s World Cup, for which MultiChoice provided a robust broadcast on SuperSport. The company also made the coverage a unique experience for female staff, by ensuring that the entire coverage crew for the tournament in Australia, was made up of women. “We believe this provides them the exposure and privilege that comes with this special showcase of women’s football,” Ugbe said, while speaking on the deliberate move.
MultiChoice Nigeria is proving a good example of an inclusive workplace for women and more corporate firms will need to imbibe the culture if the world is to attain gender equality goals.
Through strategic top-level appointments, a culture of internal career growth for women, and a groundbreaking focus on female sports coverage, MultiChoice proves that genuine gender inclusion is not merely an aspiration but an integral part of its corporate ethos. As the world grapples with the imperative of achieving gender equality goals, MultiChoice Nigeria stands as an exemplary organisation that supports the path towards a more inclusive and equitable future.
