Empowering Women in Business: Celebrating International Women's Day

Every year on the 8th of March, the whole world celebrates International Women's Day (IWD). It is always a reminder of not just how women worldwide have continued to break the glass ceiling and achieve great things, but also a reminder of how much farther behind women still are, not just in politics and business but also in terms of social justice, body autonomy, and human rights.

It is therefore apt that the theme for this year’s celebration is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”. A theme like that is a reminder of the often-mentioned maxim: “It is logical that when you invest in a demography that is half the world, the progress is going to be significant.”

As Nigerians, we can go on and on about Nigerian women within and outside the country who are making a difference in various spheres of influence. In finance, politics, sports, fashion, and entertainment, the list is endless. It has been confirmed over and over again that women not only contribute to the global economy with their labor as homemakers and caregivers, but they also contribute to the economy as entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators. Even beyond that, they contribute as custodians of culture and knowledge and shape our societies.

However, with all their contributions to society and despite the several women who have shattered glass ceilings, especially at the turn of the millennium, there is still a huge gap in terms of opportunities for women in the world of business. For example, female founders and businesswomen still face issues like gender bias, access to funding, a lack of mentorship, a disproportionate amount of sexual harassment, and poor work-life balance. For example, in Nigeria, even though 35% of gender affirmation for political appointments is enshrined in the laws, few, if any, leaders at the state and federal levels have bothered to implement it. That is just one example of cases where our profession of investing in women feels like just lip service. 

Therefore, it is important to stress that investing in women is way more than creating graphics and videos celebrating popular women or organizing token events that don’t improve the lives of real-life women. Organizations must commit to far-reaching changes that empower women in business. A way to do this is to expose more women to mentorship programs, networking opportunities, access to finance, and training initiatives where they can empower themselves and pursue their dreams free of inhibitions and stumbling blocks.

At Edgetechies, we are conscious of the fact that there is still a huge gap between where women are in the world and where they ought to be, and also that if we empower women, we can change the world. This is why one of the startups that we supported from its foundational stage is HelpMum Africa, a startup that seeks to achieve better outcomes for childbearing women and infants in Africa. 

Furthermore, One of our current CSR projects is SkillHer, a community of women of different age groups who come together to network and share opportunities to add value to themselves. One of the features of the initiative is SkillHerMeet, where the members of the community come together to learn from female Subject Matter Experts in a range of fields, from finance to technology, to arts and culture. For example, in January SkillHer meet hosted Temi Ojuade, an associate at one of the top infrastructure private equity firms in London, while in February the guest was Tobi Adebisi, an experienced digital marketing guru. Another facet of the project is the SkillHer Skill Acquisition Workshop, where women can be trained in a variety of soft and hard skills and get access to support and funding opportunities for their chosen businesses.

Whether as an individual or an organization, you can get involved by finding a local IWD event or an initiative that promotes gender equality and women's empowerment. As the anecdote about supporting women notes, a world that neglects half its population cannot make any meaningful progress, but a world where both halves of its population are allowed to reach their maximum potential will be a great place for all of us.