Earlier today, the OI project team of Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls held a town hall meeting in

It is the 8th of March again, and this year, 2023 is another opportunity to bring to the fore myriad of issues being faced by women all over the world. This year’s theme: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls.

The role technology has played in the overall development of mankind cannot be overemphasized. Women all over the world have benefited in no small measure from reproductive health to menstrual hygiene; nevertheless, we must do more to remove the digital gender divide, mainly impacting vulnerable women and girls, especially those in rural and remote areas with low education and socioeconomic status.

Innovations and technology have steered the world to move at an unprecedented pace and will continue to do so more rapidly. Indeed, this is shaping the future, yet women are still underrepresented in this space with only about 28 percent presence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) according to recent studies.

Studies from the Credit Suisse Research Institute found that more women in leadership roles increased the likelihood of better financial health for a company, further proving gender diversity is indeed a valuable asset. Another study, published in a Peterson Institute for International Economics paper, found that firms can deliver better outcomes on average by including more women in corporate leadership.

Beyond this year’s theme, Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Gender equity means respecting all people without discrimination, regardless of their gender. It aims to address gender inequalities that limit a person’s ability to access opportunities to achieve better health, education and economic opportunity based on their gender, and the private sector has a critical role to play in addressing these challenges and promoting gender equity, by implementing policies and practices that support women’s participation in the workforce and promote their advancement into leadership roles, corporations can create a more inclusive and equitable society.

Equal pay for equal work is another critical component of advancing equity in the workplace. Corporations should be committed to paying their employees fairly and transparently, regardless of gender or any other characteristic. The compensation and benefits policies should be regularly reviewed to ensure that they are fair, competitive, and consistent with local laws and regulations. We should also provide regular training to our managers and employees on diversity and inclusion, including unconscious bias training, to ensure that everyone understands the importance of equity and how it can be promoted in the workplace.

As an organization, we have been at the epicenter of promoting gender equity and social inclusion through promoting the improvement of policies, supervising governments and companies, providing services to women and researchers, strengthening the publicity of female role models and male participation, and expanding cooperation.

As we celebrate this auspicious occasion today, my message to men in positions of influence is to use this initiative as an opportunity to be an ally or advocate for gender equity. Being curious, having some self-awareness about how your actions can include or exclude and building your knowledge is a key process to help you understand the challenges facing women in the workplace.

Remember you have the chance to make a difference, not only to women but to all marginalised groups within your organisation.

Mayowa Akpati
Executive Director AEIG

Gross underfunding is a severe social cankerworm devouring the fabric of Nigerian health institutions.

Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, today, held a memorial lecture in honor of late Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Victor Udoeka Essiet

Earlier today, the FCT OI project team of Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls held a Town Hall Meeting in Abaji Area Council with the theme "Raising Awareness on Violence Against Women in Politics During Electoral Processes.

Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls in collaboration with Princess Sylvia Foundation for the Less Privileged organized a friendly football match between

On Monday 19, 2022, the Honorable Mandate Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secetariat hosted partners working in the FCT health care sector in a stakeholders dialogue.