On April 14, 2022, Jobberman Nigeria, in collaboration with Mastercard Foundation, hosted the Gender Roundtable 2022 to highlight the findings in the Gender Barrier report themed “Beyond the Bias: Unmasking the Barriers.”
The hybrid event which was implemented by WIMBIZ (Women in Management, Business, and Public Services), had notable women and leading policymakers like Hon. Folasade Adefisayo (Commissioner for Education, Lagos state), Hilda Kabushenga Kragha (MD, ROAM Africa Jobs), and more were in attendance.
In her opening statement, Hilda Kabushenga Kragha (M.D ROAM Africa) highlighted salient points around the different variables that contribute to women’s underrepresentation in the labor market and those that hamper their economic and employment prospects.
The keynote address titled “Lifting the Barriers: A Practical Perspective.” was given by Yewande Sadiku (an investment expert and public servant) Yewande’s speech shared valuable insights on how women can best position themselves to attain their goals.
Here are some memorable key points from the speech:
- “Women don’t want equality; women want equity”
- “As a woman, it’s important that you don’t allow success to hinder you from important things in life.”
- “It’s not only about building a reputation for hard work, but also about the quality of work you are doing,”
- “Extend your sphere of influence. But note that you can’t make a withdrawal if you haven’t made a deposit- invest in your relationships.”
5. “Be shameless about breaking the barriers, but unapologetic about who you are”
The opening remark given by Honorable Folashade Adefisayo (Honorable Commissioner of education, Lagos State) further drilled down on these points, as she encouraged women to always be their authentic selves wherever they are and recognize, promote, and support fellow women succeeding in their respective industries.
In her final remarks, she said, “It starts with believing in yourself. Choose who you associate with very carefully. Build up and not bring down”.
The panel session of the event, which was moderated by Debola Deji-Kurunmi (Transformational Catalyst and Life Coach; Immerse Coaching Company) had Honorable Folashade Adefisayo (Honorable Commissioner of Education, Lagos State), Zainab Aliyu (CEO Aaboux), Hilda Kabushenga Kragha (M.D ROAM Africa), Olufunke Baruwa (Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice; Ford Foundation), and Esiri Agbeyi (Partner PWC) as panelists. The conversation explored various angles on limitations women experience in the labor market, how it impacts them, and how the right policies and structures can eliminate these barriers.
The panel discussion was followed by three breakout rooms where guests could participate in more private and close-knit discussions:
- Policy Room: Beyond Tokenism: Shifting Ideologies, Shaping Structures moderated by Adaorie Udechukwu
- Place Room: Inclusivity; Designing and implementing women-friendly workplace cultures moderated by Bunmi Akinde
- People Room: Upskilling and Retooling: The 4IR female moderated by Omotayo George
The event came to a close with closing remarks from Ore Boboye, CEO of Jobberman Nigeria. He expressed his hope to see all of the resolutions from the numerous conversations turned into useful information, which will then be utilized to drive actual changes and implementations to encourage women to participate in the labor market and improve their economic prospects.
Download The Gender Barriers report for Free here
