It is my profound honour and great joy to welcome you to the 2025 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference.

For seventeen years, WISCAR has mentored, inspired, and equipped women to lead with purpose, character, and impact. This conference is our annual moment of reflection, celebration, and re-commitment to gender justice, gender equity and gender inclusion.

This year’s theme — “Claiming Our Future: Women in Leadership and Policy Transformation” — is a bold call to action. It invites us not just to participate in shaping Nigeria’s tomorrow, but to redesign it intentionally, courageously, and collaboratively to overcome patriarchy, violence, poverty and ensure diversity and inclusion in leadership and participation in decision making

Why Gender Equity Matters — The Evidence & the Imperative

Nigeria stands at an inflection point. Demographically, economically, and politically, this is a decisive moment. This year marks 30 years post the Beijing 1995 Declaration – when governments globally pledged to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, embed gender equality across all structures of society and achieve women’s equal representation in positions of decision-making power.

And the data tells a powerful story.

According to Afrobarometer, the leading Pan-African source of high -quality data on what Africans are thinking:

• 61% of Nigerians believe women should have the same chance as men to be elected to public office.
• Around 53% support equal rights to jobs and paid employment.
• 51% support equal access to land and property.

However, in practice, fewer than half believe women enjoy these rights — a clear signal that structural barriers persist.

Why does this matter?

Because gender inclusion is not only a matter of social justice — it is a driver of national development, economic prosperity, and institutional resilience.

Gender Inclusion and Economic Returns

Global evidence shows that:

• Closing gender gaps in labour force participation could add up to USD 28 trillion to global GDP.
• African economies could grow GDP by up to USD 316 billion by 2030 by increasing women’s participation in the economy.
• Companies with gender-diverse leadership are more profitable, more innovative, and better governed.

In Nigeria, the pathway to sustainable economic transformation runs directly through women’s full participation in the workforce, in leadership, in governance, and in policy spaces.

Alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals

Our work at WISCAR directly advances:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Gender equality is not a standalone aspiration — it is a multiplier SDG, influencing national competitiveness, poverty reduction, human capital outcomes, and social stability.

If Nigeria is to achieve the 2030 Agenda, gender inclusion must be a central pillar, not a peripheral conversation.

Women’s Leadership – State of Representation in Nigeria

Today, women occupy:

• Less than 10% of elective offices nationwide
• 16.7% of federal cabinet positions
• 4.2% of seats in the National Assembly (4 Senators, 17 HoR)
• Only 2 out of 36 states, Kwara and Kaduna  have gender-balanced EXCOs

Nigeria has never had a female Governor, Vice President or indeed President. The giant of Africa is lagging other countries on the continent and needs to urgently change this narrative. Namibia and Tanzania have female Presidents with women fully represented in key cabinet and legislative positions. Ethiopia, Mauritius, Malawi and Liberia have all had female Presidents.  Our Distinguished WISCAR Awardee, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf opened the door and the rest as they say is history.

In the private sector, we see encouraging progress:

Women now hold 31.1% of board seats across the NGX30, and all boards now include at least one woman. Yet, only 10% of these boards are chaired by women.

These figures show both progress and the long road ahead. They also show that when there is intent, policy, and accountability progress follows.

2025 WISCAR Highlights & Impact

WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programmes

We have continued to focus on developing women through our transformative mentorship programmes. This year, we inducted an additional 120 women across the WIN 1, 2 and 3 programmes — a 140% increase from last year, bringing the total reach of our programmes in 2025 to 17,400 women. We are proud to note that these professional women are stepping confidently into executive and board leadership across corporate, public, and civic sectors.

Career Series & Meet-A-WISCAR Webinars

Over 1,000 participants actively engaged with our workshops and webinars, including dedicated sessions with HP, and ARM Pensions, helping to build inclusive leadership pipelines.

Women-in-Law Mentoring Programme(WILMP)

With the support of the Gates Foundation and in partnership with FIDA Nigeria and the NBA, we mentored 200 mid-career women lawyers across Lagos, Abuja and Kano in the WISCAR Women In Law Mentoring Programme.

The 2025 WISCAR WILMP Needs Assessment Report — another first, is now informing and influencing sector-wide reforms on women’s progression in the legal profession.

Today, we will celebrate the graduation of the first 100 mentees from WILMP. Courageous and brilliant women shaping the future of justice in Nigeria.

Strategic Collaborations

In 2025, we broadened and expanded our mentorship impact into workplaces through CHI Limited. We empowered creatives through the Canon Women Who Empower Project, and institutionalised mentorship in leadership development through a strategic partnership with Lagos Business School.

Beyond programmes, as part of the Nigerian Women in Leadership Coalition, alongside WIMBIZ, WILAN, and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, WISCAR advanced the Coalition’s shared advocacy priorities through a high-level engagement with the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment. More on these to be announced later

WISCAR Mentoring Book

The WISCAR Mentoring Book a legacy document distilled from 17 years of experience is now being adopted by organisations nationwide.

A reading hosted by the British Deputy High Commission and our strategic collaboration with CIPM amplify its national significance.

Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Education has formally endorsed the WISCAR Mentoring Book for general readership in areas related to business and mentorship for people aged 15 and above; a testament to its value as a national learning resource and talent development tool.

WISCAR Awards

Today, WISCAR is proud to formally announce the establishment of the

Ambassador Abdullahi & Amina Atta HeForShe Award for Integrity, Leadership, and Allyship.

This Award will be presented annually to a distinguished male Ally who actively promotes gender equity by leveraging their power and influence to give women access to leadership opportunities.

We also announce that the 2025 Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award will be presented later today to an extraordinary WISCAR alumna whose work exemplifies service, courage, and transformative leadership.

Gratitude & Appreciation

Finally, my heartfelt appreciation goes to our Patrons, Advisory Board, Board committees members, Mentors, Mentees, Faculty, Partners, Donors, and Sponsors. I especially thank Ebony Life for graciously making their premises available to us to graduate our mentees.

To the 2025 Conference Planning and Fundraising Committee, led by Tokunboh George-Taylor and Bukola Smith, thank you for your incredible dedication and tiress efforts.

To our Board Committee Chairs and members — especially Funke Amobi and Titi Akisanya — your commitment is invaluable.

And to our Secretariat, led by our Executive Secretary, Ekemini Akpakpan, thank you for your hard work and dedication to the WISCAR ideal.

Closing: Claiming Our Future

As we move towards 2030 — the global SDG deadline — let us remember:

The future will not happen to us.

We must shape it.

We must claim it.

We must enroll male Alllies

Let us continue mentoring with intention.

Advocating with courage.

Leading with conviction.

Let us build a Nigeria where gender equity is not exceptional — but expected and reflects the strength of our nation and its people.

Not aspirational — but foundational.

Not delayed — but realised for our collective development and prosperity.

Thank you. 

Amina Oyagbola, FCIoD, FCIPD, FCIPM, FCIMC
Founder & Chairperson, WISCAR

The post 2025 Founder’s Address appeared first on WISCAR.

Since its adoption in 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action has driven substantial progress in various critical areas, including legal protections for women and girls, services for survivors of gender-based violence, and economic empowerment initiatives. Despite these strides, persistent challenges remain. Violence against women and girls continues unabated, more women live in conflict and crises, and economic disparities persist globally. Now, more than ever, urgent and decisive action is needed to dismantle systemic barriers and drive meaningful progress.

WISCAR is at the forefront of these efforts, leveraging strategic partnerships, advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives to champion gender equality. In collaboration with UN Women, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, WISCAR is implementing transformative programs that foster women’s leadership, economic empowerment, and institutional change.

Spotlighting Women’s Leadership and Influence

In line with the Beijing Declaration, WISCAR is amplifying women’s voices and leadership in key institutions. Through its leadership and mentorship programs and advocacy efforts, WISCAR continues to build capacity, share knowledge, and promote the advancement of women in leadership and decision-making roles.

The Sheroes of Beijing Book is a testament to these efforts. This publication highlights the impact of 20 mentors and mentees from the UN Women-WISCAR Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentoring Programme, showcasing their instrumental role in advocating for women’s rights at national, regional, and international levels. Their stories inspire change and serve as powerful tools to mobilize the next generation towards gender equality.

Accelerating Economic Empowerment and Advocacy

WISCAR recognizes that economic empowerment is central to achieving gender equality. Through its partnership with UN Women on the Affirmative Procurement Initiative and the implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), WISCAR is driving private sector engagement in advancing women’s economic participation. By facilitating the adoption of the Gender Responsive Procurement Policy, WISCAR has successfully mobilized private sector organizations to prioritize gender-inclusive procurement and supply chain practices, thereby creating more opportunities for women entrepreneurs and professionals.

As part of its commitment to advancing women’s leadership and policy advancement, WISCAR’s Women in Law Mentoring Program is strategically designed to build a strong pipeline of female legal practitioners and lawmakers. This initiative aims to equip them with the leadership skills and preparedness to advance into positions of influence within the judiciary, legislature, executive arms of government, and the broader legal profession. They will gain the capacity to drive gender-equitable policies and practices that safeguard women’s rights and promote their economic empowerment at both local and national levels to promote gender-responsive and transformative governance, advocating for policies that foster inclusivity and justice in Nigeria’s legal and political landscape.

To further galvanize support and awareness watch out for WISCAR’s women’s month activities centered on accelerating action towards gender equality. Our objective is to spotlight women’s milestones and inspire burning conversations on women’s leadership, gender equality, and sustainable development.

A Call to Accelerate Action

As we commemorate IWD 2025, WISCAR calls on stakeholders across all sectors to take decisive steps in accelerating action for gender equality. This means:

• Strengthening policies and programs that empower women economically and socially.
• Expanding opportunities for women in leadership, decision-making, and STEM.
• Designing inclusive infrastructure that meets the needs of women and girls.
• Ensuring access to quality education and training for all women and girls.
• This International Women’s Day, let’s commit to setting bold gender targets, implementing transformative workplace reforms, and amplifying women’s voices in the media.

Progress towards gender equality should not be linear, it must be exponential. WISCAR remains steadfast in its mission to drive sustainable change through leadership development, mentorship, advocacy, and strategic partnerships. Together, let us Accelerate Action and create a world where all women and girls can realize their full potential and thrive.

About WISCAR

WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering and developing professional women to contribute meaningfully to economic growth and nation-building. Through mentorship, leadership training, and advocacy, WISCAR fosters a new generation of women leaders committed to driving positive change.

For media inquiries, please contact                                                            

Women In Successful Careers              

Website: https://wiscar.ng/

Email: info@wiscar.ng , george@wiscar.ng

The post WISCAR Commemorates International Women’s Day 2025: Accelerating Action for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Empowerment appeared first on WISCAR.

Distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 2024 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference. This event marks the culmination of the activities of this year for the Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR). It is intended to showcase the achievements of our mentorship, leadership training, and advocacy initiatives.

This year, we deepened our advocacy efforts, forging strategic partnerships focused on women’s leadership and the implementation of the Women Economic Empowerment Policy, Nigeria’s current premier framework for advancing women’s economic participation. 

We have continued to refine our work in alignment with our vision: to develop women to build a better nation, and our revised mission: to elevate women into leadership roles through structured mentorship, career development, and advocacy, driving gender-equitable policies across public, private, and development sectors.

 It is deeply sobering that, even as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration in 2025, the realities for women and girls in Nigeria remain bleak. Nigeria’s ranking on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index is poor, ranking in the top 10% of countries with the highest gender discrimination on the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index. These indicators highlight enduring systemic challenges such as discriminatory family codes, restricted access to resources, and limited civil liberties for women. Although a signatory to international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), implementation within Nigeria remains utterly inadequate.

 Your presence here is testament to our shared commitment to advancing human rights, bridging the gender equality gap, and fostering global peace and progress. As President Halla Tómasdóttir of Iceland has said, “Nothing works when women are not at work”. As Iceland is one of the most gender-equal and peaceful nations on earth, we must take the respected President’s words very seriously.

 For over 16 years, WISCAR, in collaboration with partners, donors, and sponsors, has worked tirelessly to build women’s capacity for leadership. Through our flagship WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme, masterclasses, and strategic advocacy efforts, we have equipped a significant number of women with the skills and competencies to excel, both professionally and personally.

Highlights of 2024 Achievements

Mentoring Programmes

This year, we graduated several cohorts of mentees from the WIN-with-WISCAR Programme across levels 1, 2, and 3. These women are now equipped with the strategic skills needed to accelerate their careers and advocate for others. We also onboarded new mentees who are currently immersed in our leadership curriculum.

Our Meet-A-WISCAR Series and the WISCAR/HBC Career Series provided hundreds of women with opportunities to enhance their skills in areas such as artificial intelligence for productivity and public speaking. We appreciate Habiba Balogun Consulting for her sterling contribution in this regard. Notably, our financial literacy session with industry leaders like Mrs. Rolayo Akhigbe and Mrs. Sola Adesakin was a standout, empowering participants to achieve financial balance.

Strategic Collaborations

In collaboration with FCMB, we successfully implemented the 10th cohort of the SheVentures Mentorship Programme, impacting over 200 female entrepreneurs. Additionally, our inaugural OneWoman Professional Mentorship Programme with Sterling Bank supported 150 female professionals in advancing their careers.

 As Private Sector Liaison to UN Women, we:

1. Established the Private Sector Forum on Gender-Responsive Procurement to increase opportunities for women-led businesses in the supply chain.
2. Organized workshops and webinars on gender-responsive procurement.
3. Created awareness and encouraged organisations to sign on to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
4. Made foundational strides towards establishing the $25 million Gender-Based Violence Fund.

2024 Conference Theme

This year’s theme, “Fuelling Resilience: Empowering Diversity for Economic Success,” underscores the importance of resilience and diversity in overcoming challenges and driving progress. Resilience empowers women to seize opportunities, while diversity fuels innovation and adaptability in a dynamic global marketplace.

Our keynote speaker, Ms. Funke Opeke, exemplifies resilience and innovation. As the founder of MainOne Cable Company, she has transformed Nigeria’s technology sector and earned global recognition. Today, we honour her as the 13th Distinguished WISCAR Award Recipient and look forward to learning from her inspiring journey.

WISCAR Mentoring Book Launch

We are proud to unveil the WISCAR Mentoring Book, which chronicles the evolution of the WIN-with-WISCAR Model. This book is a call to action for schools, universities, workplaces, and communities to embrace mentorship as a tool for leadership development and gender equality.

Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award

We are delighted to announce the 2024 recipient of the Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award, an individual who exemplifies the spirit of this national icon.

Gratitude and Call to Action

Our profound appreciation goes to our Patrons, Advisory Board Members, Committee Chairs and members, Mentors, Facilitators and Sponsors. Your unwavering support is invaluable and has enabled us to strengthen governance and make huge strides. A special thank you to the 2024 Conference Planning and Fundraising Committees, led by Tokunboh George-Taylor and Bukola Smith, for their dedication. A heartfelt appreciation to the WISCAR Staff led by Ekemini Akpakpan, WISCAR Executive Secretary, for all their hard work and unwavering commitment to the WISCAR vision.

As we strive toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, let us normalise women’s leadership and remember that progress requires collective action. Nigeria’s strides in board diversity—29.7% female representation among top companies—demonstrate the impact of our collective efforts. Let us continue to champion gender equality and women’s empowerment for national and global prosperity.

Thank you for listening.

Amina Oyagbola FCIoD, FCIPD, FCIPM

WISCAR Founder/Chairperson
December 12, 2024

The post 2024 Founder’s Address appeared first on WISCAR.

The post 2023 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP / MENTORING CONFERENCE appeared first on WISCAR.

Nigeria’s political arena is challenging for women due to the cultural, social, structural and institutional barriers and limitations. However, in spite of the obstacles, many Nigerian women remain active participants and have demonstrated courage, resilience, determination, innovation, and leadership, are taking purposeful action and making noteworthy strides

In order to amplify the voices of women in politics in Nigeria and galvanise support for collective action, WISCAR curated a conversation using its platform to spotlight women leaders engaged in the complex and challenging landscape of politics and advocacy in Nigeria. The second edition of the 2023 Meet-A-WISCAR series was successfully held on Thursday, 7th September 2023, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The panel discussion, themed “Women in Politics and Advocacy,” had 150 participants from the corporate sector, enterprise, government, and the civil society sectors in virtual attendance.

Nigerian women constitute nearly half of the country’s approx. 220 million population; however, significant gaps persist in their representation within both elective and appointive positions. Women are barely present. This discrepancy raises widespread concerns, given the critical role women play in the development of nations and society. Despite the concerted collaborative initiatives that have been launched by both governmental and non-governmental organisations to address this issue and increase female representation in governance and politics, not much progress has been made.

Reflecting on the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995), which called for 30% affirmative action, Nigeria has made slow progress to augment women’s engagement in the political structures and processes. The National Gender Policy (NGP) in Nigeria takes a stride forward by recommending 35% affirmative action. This policy aspires for a more encompassing representation of women, underlining the goal that at least 35% of both elective political positions and appointive public service roles should be held by women.

However, despite these efforts, Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of achieving its targeted 35% gender representation and indeed the passage of the Gender Bills presented to the NASS

The outcomes of the 2023 general elections once again delivered dismal numbers for women across board. The representation of women in the 10th Assembly compared to the 9th Assembly is disappointing. Specifically, the Senate have women occupying only 3 out of 109 seats (2.7%), while the House of Representatives have 17 women out of 360 seats (4.7%), collectively accounting for 4.2% of the 469-member Assembly. Furthermore, the number of women appointed (17.8%) in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new cabinet was disappointing. We look forward to more female appointees in this administration in line with the renewed hope agenda.

After seven general election cycles since 1999, the number of women in the Senate has regressed to the levels observed at Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999! With Nigeria, the giant of Arica, lagging behind other countries in this regard.

The pursuit of gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and efforts to establish more balanced and equitable representation remain critical imperatives for the advancement and progress of Nigerian society and socio-economic growth.

At WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers), we recognise the pivotal role that role modelling, mentorship and shared experiences play in empowering women. The shared stories of our special guests offered not just a glimpse into their journey so far but a roadmap for others to follow. They unpacked their strategies, the support systems that they leaned on, and their perspectives on navigating the political terrain and the evolving role of women in Nigerian politics and we collectively plan towards the next election cycle in 2027.

The virtual panel session consisting of; Adeola Azeez – Partner/West Africa Representative, Sigma Risk, SDP Candiate, Ijebu Central Senatorial District election; Ayisha Osori – Activist/Author, Love Does Not Win Elections and former contestant for elective office in the House of Representatives); and Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi – Founding Director, WARDC; explored the topic the role of women in Politics and Advocacy.

The panel session was moderated by Founder, WILAN Global, Abosede George-Ogan, and hosted by WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, Amina Oyagbola. Practical ideas and insights emerged from the very rich conversation on the benefits of inclusive governance to society and the pathway to equal representation of women in politics to build a better nation.

KEY POINTS FROM THE PANEL

• Challenging Religious and Cultural Biases:
  Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi highlighted the influence of religion and culture as major barriers to women’s political participation and the need to change social norms. These factors contribute to society’s stereotypes about women’s roles and capabilities. While acknowledging that these biases are not unique to Nigeria, she stressed the importance of engaging with religious and cultural leaders to challenge and change these perceptions.
• Enhancing Visibility of Young Women:
  Poor visibility of young women in Nigerian politics as a significant weakness was another point emphasised by Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi. She stressed the need for intentional efforts to increase the digital presence and visibility of young female political leaders. By showcasing their achievements and contributions, society can better appreciate the valuable role young women play in politics.
• Equal Representation in Decision-Making:
  Ayisha Osori highlighted the importance of achieving equal representation of men and women, young people, and individuals with disabilities in decision-making and policy-making processes. Governments should reflect on the diversity of their societies, and women should have a seat at the table where budgets and policies are determined.
• Early Engagement with Communities:
  The need for female political contestants to start engaging with their communities early was raised by Ayisa Osori as waiting until shortly before elections to become visible is insufficient. To be truly visible and relevant, women should continuously engage with their communities and champion causes that resonate with the people they aim to represent.
• Impactful Engagement in Politics:
  Adeola Azeez expressed her frustration with the state of governance and emphasized the need for impactful political engagement. She urged women to leverage their accomplishments in other fields and use politics as a platform to make a significant impact on society. She also shared creative ideas on how to raise funds for elective office.
• Prioritising Legislative Bills:
  Adeola Azeez highlighted a practical step to improve female participation in politics—prioritising legislative bills that support gender inclusivity. Revisiting and passing bills related to women’s participation in politics is a low-hanging fruit that can yield substantial progress in the next electoral cycle.
• Promoting a Mindset Change:
  The panelists called for a consensus to change mindsets and raise awareness about the critical importance of women’s participation in politics. Women have a pivotal role to play in advocating for this change in various environments, including social gatherings and community interactions and in their homes

Strategic Action Required for Advancing Gender Inclusivity in Nigerian Politics:

• Challenge Religious and Cultural Biases:
  • Engage religious and cultural leaders to challenge stereotypes about women’s roles;
  • Promote dialogue on the role of women and gender equality with religious and cultural values.
• Enhance Visibility of Young Women:
  • Take deliberate steps to increase the visibility and digital presence of young female political leaders;
  • Raise awareness by showcasing the achievements and contributions of young women in politics.
• Achieve Equal Representation in Decision-Making:
  • Advocate for equal representation of men and women, young people, and individuals with disabilities in policy and budget decision-making;
  • Ensure that our government reflects the diversity and demography of their societies through inclusive representation.
• Early Community Engagement:
  • Encourage female political contestants to engage with their communities early and continuously;
  • Champion causes that resonate with the people they aim to represent, fostering trust and relevance.
• Promote Impactful Political Engagement:
  • Encourage successful career women to go into politics and use their influence for societal impact;
  • Highlight politics as a platform for making a significant difference in governance and policymaking.
• Prioritise Legislative Bills:
  • Advocate for the prioritization and passage of legislative bills that support gender inclusivity in politics.
  • Address legal barriers and create an enabling environment for women’s political participation.
• Promote Mindset Change:
  
  • Engage in conversations and awareness campaigns to change mindsets, and social norms regarding women’s role in politics;
  • Emphasize the importance of women’s participation in shaping policies, structures, and systems.

CONCLUSION AND APPRECIATION

The panel session concluded with the vote of thanks as delivered by Dolapo Alayaki, WISCAR, Operations Manager. She also gave special recognition to all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the WISCAR initiatives memorable and impactful.

The post COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER THE SECOND EDITION OF THE 2023 MEET-A-WISCAR SERIES THEMED WOMEN IN POLITICS AND ADVOCACY appeared first on WISCAR.

How time flies! It seems like yesterday that we gathered for our last conference, but another year has passed, and our body of work has increased both in pace and in capacity towards the continued drive to achieve our mission; ‘Developing Women to Build a Better Nation’. Our impact and results motivate us to persist in our contributions towards nation building, through advocacy for gender equality, capacity building and mentorship of the next generation of women leaders.

On the cusp of our 15^th year of operation and activity, we continue to consolidate on the gains from previous years as we look towards the future we desire for our people (male and female), for our country, and, for the continent.

Our mission at WISCAR remains the preparation of talented women, of all ages and generations, to imbibe and manifest ethical leadership, as we believe these attributes are key to sustainable development and galvanization of the change we want to see. It is our conviction that with the empowerment of increasing numbers of professional women, they in turn will empower others, enrich the talent workforce, contribute to growth, and help to develop the gender equitable policies that are required for nation-building.

Our methodology for delivering on our vision remains a focus on structured mentorship. For those who are not familiar with the WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme, its key features include:

•         A careful matching of mentees with selected mentors to aid the realization of their mentoring goals and aspirations.
•         Attendance at a series of rich and varied career seminars and masterclasses.
•         Participation in the WISCAR School of Excellence.
•         Book Reviews.
•         Role-Modelling with several opportunities to network with successful women in careers during the Meet-A-WISCAR sessions.

Today, we celebrate the graduating cohort of our WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programmes, WIN 1 & 2 and WIN 3; 51 female professionals, who following a rigorous selection process qualified for the WISCAR Programmes. We supported them in structuring, shaping and concretizing their career goals and aspirations they proclaimed in January 2022. They have stayed the course and demonstrated their commitment, determination, resilience, and agility to lead and succeed. You will be hearing a brief testimony shortly from a WISCAR mentee. Oluwayemisi Mafe will speak on behalf of the three cohorts and share her reflections on the impact of the programme and what this year’s conference theme means to her.

At WISCAR we pride ourselves on never being too far from our beneficiaries and indeed the WISCAR Alumni continue to play their role in paying it forward as mentors, as collaborators and partners in our sustainability. We put energy and action behind our advocacy to empower and enable more women to have a seat at the table. WISCAR Alumni are represented on the WISCAR Advisory Board and our Committees. The WISCAR Grow and Learn Initiative (GLIN), a project launched by the WISCAR Alumni in 2017 continues to receive support from our Alumni and mentees, with our last three cohorts consistently choosing to execute a project around the initiative. This year was no different as the Mentees of the WIN 1 & 2 programme, as part of their compulsory requirement to deliver a group project, chose to conduct a one-day mentoring session with students of the Ilupeju Senior Secondary School, Lagos thereby impacting the lives of 60 girls.

With the GLIN initiative and support from our mentees, we have been able to reach over 2,000 young girls so far.

Our complementary programmes to the WIN-with-WISCAR Curriculum, Meet-A-WISCAR (Mentoring Journeys) and the WISCAR/HBC Career Series continue to be well attended and impactful. This year we had over 600 women and men attend and participate in our virtual Meet-A-WISCAR with the MD/CEO of Mondelez West Africa, Oyeyimika Adeboye and the CEO of Lufodo Group, Ajoke Silva, our WISCARs. The mentees of these phenomenal women, Funlola Pearce, Accounting & External Reporting Lead at Mondelez Sub-Saharan Africa and Kemi Lala Akindoju, CEO of the Make It Happen Productions also took part.

Following another well received call for applications we are delighted to welcome the incoming cohort for the 14^th Stream of the WIN 1 & WIN  2 programmes who will commence in January 2023. We warmly welcome you to the WISCAR community and trust that you will find your time with WISCAR to be worthwhile. We urge you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to develop yourself and catapult your careers. I exhort you to begin with the end in mind!

In addition to our flagship WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programmes we continue to be engaged to provide bespoke mentoring programmes to private sector organizations. These engagements are built on our history of success. We remain grateful to FCMB for the opportunity to return in 2022 to execute their 7^th Cycle of the SheVentures Mentorship Programme. We are immensely proud to be part of the success stories of over 100 female SMEs impacted in this cycle. We look forward to continuing this partnership in the years ahead.

In September 2021, WISCAR was appointed Private Sector Liaison partner to UN Women Nigeria with a mandate to strengthen private sector support and participation towards the acceleration of several UN Women Gender Equality and Gender Empowerment Initiatives. A key mandate within our deliverables was to increase private sector uptake of the UN Women/UN Global Compact Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs). We are pleased to announce that in partnership with UN Women, UNGC and other key stakeholders, we have surpassed the target set, with currently over 100 signatories to the WEPs. We celebrate and recognize the organizations that have signed on and we encourage other organizations yet to sign on to commit to doing so to improve their performance, enhance their brand and enable their ESG reporting. Equality means better business.

At WISCAR we continuously innovate and improve on our value proposition and offerings to meet the needs and expectations of our stakeholders. We are therefore pleased to announce the WISCAR Membership Hub will go live from 1st of January 2023. The WISCAR Membership hub complements our membership and mentorship proposition, as a safe and exclusive platform for WISCAR Members to interact with one another.

The theme for this year’s conference is “FOR THE NATION: THE POWER OF INCLUSION.” We believe this theme with the critical inflection point at which we currently find ourselves. Our theme is a call to galvanize action by all (private and public sector) to enable and accelerate women’s inclusion in governance, women’s leadership in organizations and active female participation in all spheres of our nation. With 2023 being a critical election year, it is a call to people to take deliberate steps to elect public servants that are gender sensitive who will bring about the change that we all seek. In the 2019 elections, we were disappointed at the decline of female representation in all strata of governance, currently at 3.6%. This year during the International Women’s Month in March 2022, the National Assembly rejected key gender bills that sought to provide a more equal and equitable future for women in Nigeria. The upside to the rejection, is that women are waking up and coming together to use their power and influence to change their destiny. In the words of the authors of the book, For Women and The Nation, Dr. Nina Mba (of Blessed Memory) and Cheryl Johnson-Odim, ‘We form a Multitude.’

Our conference theme is a clarion call for change for a better future. For all the good people of Nigeria to step up and demand for fairness, equity, and inclusion of all citizens to move our nation forward.

Given the intractable economic challenges the nation is faced with, it is imperative that we put all our human capital to work for our development, our shared prosperity and a better future for all of us. As the DSG of the UN said: “there is no bird that flies on half a wing”

We must remember that women are excluded because of stereotypes. Stereotypes that others harbor of us and stereotypes that we have been socialized to harbor of ourselves. We must reject these stereotypes. A wise woman, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once observed about Stereotypes ‘The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.’

We are approaching a strategic transition period in our nation, where we will come together again to decide the course of our future. We must be deliberate about ensuring our representation in every sphere. We should no longer wait to be given power; we should take it. We should no longer wait for opportunities to be handed to us; we should create them. This means that we must continue to build capacity and strategically organize ourselves to be present at every table at which decisions are made, decisions that will affect us. We should all come out and vote. We should vote for female candidates and for male leaders that are gender sensitive.

To help unpack and discuss our conference theme in more depth, we are indeed privileged to listen to distinguished panelists including Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN, Tosin Oshinowo, Principal Architect of cmDesign Atelier, Hawwah Gambo, Journalist and Female Candidate for the Federal House of Representatives under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Chukwuemeka Onyimadu, National Economist for the UN Women, in a keynote panel moderated by Tunji Lardner, Journalist, Development Expert and Public Servant.

It is my distinct pleasure to announce our keynote speaker for this year’s conference. She is, simply put, a ROCK STAR! She is a globally acclaimed, multiple award-winning writer, gender activist, and sought-after speaker; our own Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. We are excited and honoured to have her grace our own stage tonight, live and in person. She is an Author and public speaker of global repute who continues to impress upon the world the need for gender equality and equity. She is an inspiration to women and girls all over the world and to all of us at WISCAR. Today she becomes a distinguished member of the WISCAR Family as she joins our roll call of exemplars and role-models as the 11^th Distinguished WISCAR Award Recipient. Ms. Adichie, we are delighted and excited to have you in the room with us all the way from the USA. We thank United Airlines, our sponsor, for making this possible. We are proud of the strides you have made and are honoured to be associated with you. We are eager to listen to you, to learn from you and be inspired by you.

Today we also bestow an award on a National Icon and Shero. The late Professor Grace Alele–Williams who remains a true embodiment of our values at WISCAR. In her memory and honour we have initiated the Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award which in subsequent years will be bestowed on; a deserving WISCAR Alumni.

Our profound appreciation goes to our esteemed WISCAR Patrons, our Advisory Board Members, our Committee Chairs and Members, our Mentors, our 2022 Resource Persons and Facilitators and our Donors and Sponsors who all contributes, in no small measure, in oiling the wheels of the awesome machine that is WISCAR. We are grateful to all the members of the 2022 Conference Planning Committee and the 2022 Fundraising Committee led by Folake Ani-Mumuney and Bukola Smith, respectively. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and sacrifices in enabling the delivery of yet another world-class event. Special appreciation to the WISCAR Team, led by Fabia, for your hard work and dedication to the WISCAR vision. In talking of the WISCAR team, I must not fail to mention that it has been a year of transitions at WISCAR. This year, we bade farewell to Chinwe Onwuzirike, WISCAR Programmes Officer and Mary Katambi, NYSC intern and Chibok girl as they both moved on to pursue further studies.

Indeed, Time does fly! I distinctly remember welcoming Fabia Ogunmekan to the WISCAR family a few years ago! Today, we announce her transition, as Fabia Ogunmekan, WISCAR Executive Director moves on at year end. She hands over the baton after 5 years at the helm to a worthy successor. We thank Fabia for her sterling contribution to WISCAR.  We shall be duly acknowledging and appreciating her and the WISCAR team later this evening.

Once again, we celebrate all women and our HeForShe’s; the wind beneath our wings, who contribute to making the world a kinder and better place. People who give of themselves so that those who come after them may benefit from their sacrifice. We applaud women who are deliberate in their efforts to succeed and be heard and respected. Women who stand for what is right, fair, and just. Women who stand for change. We celebrate those who came before us, on whose shoulders, we stand. Those here with us that we admire and look up to; and those who will come after us. Together, we stand in solidarity. Together we shine the light on women’s rights as human rights. We call for Inclusion for the Nation, for Women, for Men, for the Youth and for People with Disability. We implore each and every one of us here tonight to commit to always providing a voice for the voiceless for only then can we enthrone justice in our lives.

Thank you for listening.

Amina Oyagbola

Founder/Chairperson

Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR)

December 10, 2022.

The post 2022 THE FOUNDER’S ADDRESS appeared first on WISCAR.

The 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference tagged – ‘An Evening with WISCAR’ was successfully held on Saturday, 10^th December, 2022, from 4:00pm to 9:30pm. The conference which was themed “FOR THE NATION: THE POWER OF INCLUSION” had over 600 (Six Hundred) delegates – from Corporate World, Enterprise, Government, and the Civil Society Sectors in physical attendance from across Nigeria and several others streaming online on YouTube from across the globe.

Opening and Goodwill Messages

The conference formally kicked off with a special rendition of the National Anthem by Opera Singer Sandra Osamor.

The goodwill messages were delivered by distinguished personalities who provided valuable insights on the power and importance of female inclusion in leadership and governance for the nation. The goodwill messages were as follows;

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, The Executive Governor of Lagos State ably represented by Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.  In his goodwill message the Executive Governor stated that the theme for this year’s conference “For the Nation; The Power of Inclusion” is very appropriate and timely because it challenges the fundamental belief that only a specific gender or class of people have the potential to be highly productive contributors.

Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British Deputy High Commissioner Nigeria highlighted that women and girls make up half of the Nation’s population and invariably half of the Nation’s potential. Hence, it would be a great disservice for Nigeria to exclude half of its population from fully contributing to the economy. He further stated that the global average of women representation in politics is 22.5% but Nigeria’s average is at 6.7% and improving this takes a collective effort.

Ms. Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and Ecowas in her goodwill message elucidated on how the theme for the Annual Conference recognizes the adverse and lasting impact of the exclusion of women, girls, persons living with disability and the most vulnerable on Nigeria’s socio-economy. She went further to share the results of the UN Women/WISCAR partnership in promoting SDG 5 to address and close some of the gaps.

Mrs. Oluwatomi Bola-Sadipe, Country Sales Manager, Nigeria & Ghana, United Airlines highlighted United Airlines commitment to gender inclusion which is evident in the recruitment process of the company stating that any company that seeks to exist and sustain its operations for generations to come must think inclusion and diversity.

HRH Muhammad Sanusi Lamido II, Sarkin Kano gave the final goodwill message expressing that the theme of this year’s WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference brings to the fore the issues that need to be addressed as the matter of inclusion is one that has affected the progress of the nation. He that inclusion means involving women, youths, people living with disability amongst others and as citizens we should call on political candidates to share their plans for diversity and inclusion.

Founder’s Address

Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, Founder/Chairperson of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) graciously appreciated the presence of all distinguished guests, participants, donors and sponsors at the 2022 Annual Conference. After which, she reiterated WISCAR’s mission which is to equip generations of talented women for ethical leadership as women are key to sustainable development.

She then proceeded to give an account of WISCAR’s impact in 2022 which includes the 2022 graduating cohort of the WIN with WISCAR Programmes (WIN I & II and WIN III) which comprises 51 female professionals, who following a rigorous selection process qualified for the WISCAR programs and proceeded to participate in shaping and concretizing their career goals and aspirations in January 2022.

She also emphasized that the theme for this year’s conference “FOR THE NATION: THE POWER OF INCLUSION.” is a clarion call to galvanize action by all to enable and accelerate women’s inclusion in governance, leadership in organizations and active female participation in all spheres of our nation. She further stated that it is also a call to people to take deliberate steps to elect public servants that are gender sensitive in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

She looked forward with excitement to hearing from the Keynote Panelists as the Fire Side Chat with Global icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which was the high point of the conference.

Oluwayemisi Mafe, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication in West Africa, Pfizer in her Mentees testimonial shared that joining and completing the WISCAR Mentoring programme was one of her goals for the year 2022. She further mentioned that there is a need for organizations to follow through on WISCAR’s advocacy by developing a gender agenda and no discrimination policies at all levels in line with SDG 10 and implement the appropriate culture to promote diversity and inclusion.

Keynote Panel Session/Key Points/Recommendations

The keynote plenary session consisting of; Hawwah Gambo – Journalist and Political Candidate; Adia Sowho – Chief Marketing Officer, MTN; Chukwuemeka Onyimadu – National Economist, UN Women Nigeria; and Tosin Oshinowo – Principal Architect, cmDesign Atelier explored the topic Her Inclusion: Our Collective Gain.

Moderated by globally recognized journalist, development expert and public servant, Tunji Lardner, the conversation brought to bear practical ideas and insights on the benefits of inclusive governance to society and discussed ways inclusion improves the economy and how it can be better harnessed.

Key Points from the Keynote Panel Session;

• There is a need for continuous and concerted efforts towards advocating for gender inclusion so that the next generation does not suffers from the consequences.
• Inequality starts at home and if we are going to advocate equality, it has to start from the home.
• The way women build networks in their workplaces has to differ from men because the conversations between women are more intimate and more truthful and they require a much deeper foundation.
• The resistance against the Gender and Equality bill stems largely from the perceptions around the objectives of the bill. By and large, religion has had a very strong impact on the acceptability of the bill within the assembly. UN Women is working with CSOs and other gender cohorts to see how that perception can be redressed and still be fair and equitable. What the bill seeks to achieve is to ensure that women have equal opportunities and that speaks largely to the theme of the WISCAR Annual Conference.
• Less than one percent of women entrepreneurs as well as women-owned businesses participate in public procurement. In fact, it is even worse when we look at women-owned businesses that benefit from public procurement. It is therefore imperative that forward looking companies begin to consider implementing affirmative procurement policies to improve the numbers and close the gap.
• Women need to become a little bit less conscious that they are women and see themselves as people.
• Role modelling is key. We need to create more opportunities for women to see the possibilities, just seeing someone else who is in a similar situation as you, or looks like you, and what they have achieved means that it is possible.

Inspirational Talk

There was a powerful spoken words rendition by Kemi Lala Akindoju’s Production Company that reminded the participants of women who had gone ahead in the quest for gender inclusion and equity. Through the piece, there was a call for us to take action towards achieving the desired future we want for our people (male and female), for our beloved Nigeria.

Posthumous Award

WISCAR presented a posthumous award to Late Professor Grace Alele-Williams, a national icon in recognition of her outstanding contribution and legacy. A Shero and a true embodiment of our values at WISCAR.

In the award to the Family, and in honour of her memory, WISCAR initiated the Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award which in subsequent years will be bestowed on a deserving WISCAR Alumni.

Keynote Fireside Chat

The keynote fireside chat with the WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, Amina Oyagbola and Global Icon and Multiple Award-Winning Author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie further deepened the relevance of the Conference theme. This chat was preceded by a specially curated indigenous salutation (Oja) of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s rich Igbo heritage and her achievements which ushered her to the stage with great emotion and excitement.

In an emotional response to the Oja, she stated how much the words reminded her of the people she holds dear and how they have contributed to the woman she is today. Her introductory remarks, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stated the importance of gatherings like the WISCAR Annual Conference which serves as a reminder of the values that matter and actions that can be taken, adding that the desire for women to participate in decision making processes, should not be only because they are women but also based on the awareness that there are certain compositions about the socialization of women that is an enabler for better leadership.

In her conversation with the Founder, she stated that the challenges she encountered in her career were mitigated with the support and foundation set by her family. She emphasized the need for parents particularly fathers to be present and involved in the lives of their children. In shedding lighter on the word feminism, she remarked that it is a word that has been so often misunderstood,  and become easy to make a caricature of. It is a word that speaks more about justice, equality and recognizing that every human being deserves equal opportunity – establishing that people should not be excluded from opportunities that they ordinarily might excel at or are interested in because they are female.

She shared her experience on setbacks and recounted how she was told that no one will publish her books because she was writing about Africa and African Countries. Indeed, her manuscripts were rejected several times but she kept writing and sending them out till a female publisher saw the value and the rest as they say is history. She shared that she has learnt to deal with feelings of disappointment and failure by giving herself a timeline to feel sorry after which she picks herself up and moves on. Dwelling on such feelings she says will make you sink deeper into despair which is counter-productive and unhealthy.

Change is often difficult for people. In general, as human beings, we think that if something has been done continuously, then it is automatically the right way to do it, however, this is not always the case.  Ms. Adichie mentioned two key areas where people are indoctrinated as:

• The school: School teaches children not just academics, but certain cultural things we also need to push back on. For example, a father is the breadwinner and a mother plays a supporting role which no longer reflects the true reality.
• Religion: It would be impossible to challenge gender roles on our continent without religion. People dismiss a lot of things using religion. For instance, how can you say you are equal, you were made from a rib- I believe God is a feminist she says and I look forward to crafting the case for God being Feminist because there is no way that a loving God, will decide that some of his creations are somehow lesser than others. It completely destroys the notion of a loving God.

As her final charge, she tasked attendees on the need to not just focus on the development of girls but also on how boys are raised – stating that there is a need engage boys early and reshape the ideas of masculinity to encourage expressing emotion, believing in fairness, advocating against discrimination.

Presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award

Following an insightful fireside chat, the specially curated citation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s career and achievements was played after which she was presented with the 2022 Distinguished WISCAR Award by the WISCAR Advisory Board Members led by the Chair of the Planning Committee

The Distinguished WISCAR Award was given to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in recognition for her outstanding contribution to the fields of literature and culture, for being a thought leader, and an advocate for women’s rights.

Executive Director Transition

It was an emotional and beautiful moment when Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, announced the transition of Mrs. Fabia Ogunmekan, WISCAR Executive Director after 5 years at the helm of WISCAR’s affairs. In her remarks, Mrs. Oyagbola gave a heartfelt appreciation to Fabia Ogunmekan for her sterling contribution to WISCAR.

Conclusion and Appreciation

The conference concluded with the vote of thanks as delivered by Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, the Chair of the Planning Committee. Fabia Ogunmekan also gave special recognition to all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference memorable and impactful.

Sponsors for the 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference are: United Airlines, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Pacific Holdings Limited, Aliko Dangote Foundation,  IHS Nigeria PLC, Coronation Asset Management, Bank of Industry, Maersk, SPDC, SNEPCO, FCMB, Sterling Bank PLC, Cadbury Nigeria PLC, Lotus Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Aella, SunTrust Bank, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, MTN Nigeria, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, Wema Bank, EKEDC, NLNG, Coronation Merchant Bank, Ernst & Young, MainOne, Enterprise Life, Lagos State Government, PharmAccess Foundation, Pladis Global, UN Women Nigeria, Habiba Balogun Consulting, Oyagbola Chambers, AKMS Consulting, AfricaBusinessRadio.com, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, DKK, Nigerian Bottling Company, Touchdown Travels, Narrative Landscape, Hallmark HMO, Eko Atlantic, Hans & René, Diageo PLC and Nigerian Breweries.

Advocacy & Policy Recommendations from the Panel and Keynote

Inclusion, Women Economic Empowerment and Women’s Political Participation

Following the discussions of the panel and the fire side chat, we note that there is a lot more that can be done to create more gender inclusive economies, for which the business and political case has already been made.

• As citizens, we should ask questions from political aspirants on their plans and strategies for gender inclusion.
• Companies need to implement gender inclusive policies and promote a culture that is open to diversity and inclusion.
• With only about 1% women gaining access to the procurement opportunities, it has become imperative for companies to implement an affirmative procurement policy because it makes for sustainable business and national development.

Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR)

Lagos, Nigeria.

December, 2022.

www.wiscar.ng

The post 2022 WISCAR ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING CONFERENCE – EVENT COMMUNIQUE appeared first on WISCAR.

It indeed gladdens my heart to have the opportunity to see all our friends, partners, and supporters with your masks on. The COVID virus is still with us, so l urge you all to continue to observe all the protocols. This gathering tells a story of survival, resilience, determination and God’s favour to keep going in-spite of the challenges we have faced individually and collectively in the past year. The whole world has been affected by the by COVID pandemic. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace. That you chose to join us this morning both physically and online is a blessing that we do not take for granted. Once again, a very warm welcome to you all.

It has been exactly 20 months since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19outbreak a global pandemic that has since left the world recuperating from the global lockdown and devastating economic impact. The crisis also regressed some of the gains made to achieve gender equality and women empowerment. Thus, making the race to achieve gender equality and parity even more urgent! Against all the odds, we have seen and continue to see women continuing to press for progress and challenge the status quo. Women have demonstrated excellence in leadership at the frontlines in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts and across key sectors of our economy.

So, what has the landscape been for women in leadership? The percentage of women on boards in Nigeria as at August 2020 stood at 20%, well above the world average of 17%, the African average of 14% and West African average of 11%. Furthermore, in what many observers have described as a paradigm shift, the Nigerian banking sector witnessed a surge in the number of women at the top, with currently eight women serving as Chief Executive Officers /Managing Directors (MDs) of leading banks. This is the outcome of the gender friendly policies and targets put in place by the CBN several years ago.

Women are also leading and playing big in Power, Energy, Technology, Healthcare, FMCG and Hospitality sectors to name a few and delivering on their mandates! They include the Group Managing Director/CEO, AG Leventis (Nigeria) Limited, the Chairperson, Guinness Nigeria, MD Cadbury Nigeria, MD Maersk Nigeria, the President/Group CEO Transcorp PLC and the Managing Director/CEO Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). There has indeed been some progress, the glass ceiling is being shattered, but there is still a long way to go! We will be hearing from some of these leading women today.

In terms of women’s participation and representation in politics and governance the story is different. The 2019 elections witnessed the return of only a few women in political leadership in Nigeria. Today, only seven out of 109 senators and 22 of the 360 House of Representatives members are women. Nigeria has never had a female Governor, female Vice-President or indeed President. This picture needs to change in 2023. So, ladies, go and get your PVC and vote for or support female candidates.

At our Conference last year, themed “The Future We Want”, we deliberated on the future we want for women and girls and for Nigeria. In the course of our work in 2021, we took forward some of the recommendations made by participants at our 2021 convening towards actualizing that future. We desire a future where all men and women are treated equally and have equal access to opportunities based on merit. A future where women’s rights are treated as human rights. We are here to stay! and we are ready to PLAY BIG and TAKE OUR PLACE at all levels and across all sectors of society to contribute to the development of our nation in line with our mission to develop women to build a better nation.

Indeed,

• It is time to give priority to our healthcare delivery system so that there is equity and access for ALL.
• It is time for women to be fully represented in political and private leadership – a minimum of 35% representation in line with the electoral reform.
• It is time for the gender imbalances and inequalities to be addressed.
• It is time for the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, 2019, currently going through 2nd reading in the NASS to be passed into law.
• It is time for Constitutional review and Electoral reforms.
• It is time to address gender-based violence and women’s access to property and decision-making.
• It is time for the Child Rights Act to be domesticated in every state of the Federation
• It is time to take our rightful place as partners in progress for real development and our collective prosperity.

Women have always played an influential role in their homes and in public life enabling others to lead. What we have not always done so well is make our voices heard by stepping forward to lead to influence policy and decision making. Thus, showcasing and celebrating women exemplars and role models who not only inspire by their actions but who also pay it forward by lifting other women up through mentorship and sponsorship is part of the WISCAR ideal. Therefore, at the heart of this conference and the line-up of events that have been curated this year, is role-modelling, mentorship and the celebration of excellence! This conference will showcase leading women, playing big in their various fields, from social innovation to entrepreneurship, to the corporate world and Politics, in spite of the constraints. They are all women who are, driving change and transformation and making a difference.

It is our sincere belief and hope that at the end of this conference, we will all be inspired to take charge of our career and our destiny to achieve our aspirations and dreams and be agents of change in our society.

Mahatma Gandhi said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world!” WISCAR is proud to have continued in 2021 to actualize its goal to accelerate change towards the good society that we wish to see. Through our advocacy, programmes, collaborations, and partnerships we have actively worked towards accelerating Women’s development for leadership in the following ways:

Our flagship WIN-with-WISCAR Structured Mentoring Programmes are;

• WIN I – for talented beginners with under 5 years’ experience.
• WIN II – for women aspiring for senior management roles with 5-10 years’ experience.
• WIN III – addresses women with over 10 years’ experience already in senior management and aspiring for C-Suite, Executive Management and Board roles. We enable readiness!

In 2021 we continued to build the capacity and capability of the next generation of young women through leadership development and structured mentoring programmes. Innovation is at the heart of our programming at WISCAR and we are proud to report that all of our mentoring programmes are now delivered online, thus ensuring that our programmes are accessible to even more aspiring mentees across Nige-ria and beyond.

For those who may not be familiar, the key features of our WIN Programmes include;

• A careful matching of each mentee with a selected mentor to help the mentee begin to meet the realization of her goals and ambitions.
• Career webinars aimed at improving the personal, interpersonal, and organizational effectiveness of the mentees.
• Book reviews that encourage a reading culture, enhance subject matter knowledge, strategic skills, and improve work ethic.
• Role Modelling and networking through Meet-A-WISCAR sessions.

Additionally,

• Several of our programs, in collaboration with our partners Habiba Balogun Consulting, are open to the public both women and men to bridge professional skills gaps; and add to their professional skill sets.

Our 12th stream of mentees of the WIN 1 & 2 programmes, a class of 40 young women located across Nigeria will be graduating today from the rigorous 12- month structured mentoring programme. We are extremely proud of them for their, open mindedness, their staying power, their resilience, their growth and determination. To this 12th stream of WISCAR Mentees, I salute and congratulate to you. You have already started making us proud as a cohort through your group project and pay-it forward initiative, organizing and executing a 1-day mentoring session for young girls in secondary schools under the auspices of the WISCAR Grow and Learn Initiative (GLIN). We are confident that with the skills and guidance which you have acquired from your mentors and the several masterclasses and projects you have participated in, you can navigate any glass cliff, labyrinth or ceiling that you come across to quote the DG of WTO. We look forward to hearing your future stories of success. See you at the very top!

Following a popular call for applications we received well over 60 applications and following a rigorous selection process we admitted 11 qualified women in senior management across various sectors into our bespoke WIN 3 Programme.

WIN 3 consists of carefully curated masterclasses that build the critical leadership competencies and skills required to develop senior female leadership talent and create a direct talent pathway to Executive Management and Boards. You will be hearing from one of the beneficiaries of the WIN 3 programme later today.

2021 Partnerships and Collaborations

In addition to our internal programs and activities, we were privileged to collaborate with several reputable organizations to scale our mission. As you may know, last year WISCAR collaborated with UN Women Nigeria on “The Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentorship Programme” to mark 25 years post the Beijing conference. Following the successful execution of this pioneering mentorship programme; this year together with UN Women Nigeria, we launched 12-episodes of the “Sheroes of Beijing Stories; Podcast Series” powered by the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative. The podcast created an additional platform to increase access to these powerful inspiring Sheroes, and the mentoring conversations we were privileged to have with them.

The podcast series precedes the launch of a special book “The Sheroes of Beijing; Telling the Nigeria Stories 25 years after the 4th World Conference on Women’’ Today, we will be launching this publication that has been carefully curated and shares the stories of twenty phenomenal women who participated in the 1999Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. These women also served as mentors in the pioneering mentoring program. The book documents part of our history and should serve as a legacy resource for all women and men. We will be giving out a few free copies to participants so please watch this space!

Furthermore, we are delighted to announce a strategic collaboration with UN Women Nigeria. In September 2021, WISCAR was appointed Private Sector Liaison to UN Women Nigeria to strengthen private sector support and participation towards the acceleration of several UJN Women, Gender Equality and Gender Empowerment (GEWE) initiatives. Our key mandate under this partnership is to sensitize private sector companies to become signatories to the UN Women & United Nations Global Compact – Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs). The WEPs represent a fantastic framework with 7 simple steps that leaders can take to advance gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community. We implore private sector leaders who are present here today, to consider joining the WEPs community. More information on the WEP’s and how you can become a signatory can be found in our Conference brochure.

Riding on the back of the WEPs and our work as Private Sector Liaison to UN Women, is our advocacy to end all forms of Gender based Violence against women. We are also advocating for the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, a bill which has suffered many setbacks but through consultative efforts with a wide range of stakeholders including private sector leaders, now has a strong opportunity to make it through its next round in the legislative process. The private sector has an interest and role to play in ensuring that this bill, which provides for a more inclusive and equitable society, where women are afforded the opportunity to participate across all spheres of life is passed ONCE and FOR ALL.

It is time! Our work as members of the UN Women UNstereotype Alliance also sees us advocating not only for fairer representation of women in advertising but as subjects of advertising campaigns.

We are profoundly grateful to FCMB for choosing us as partners once again to execute their 5th and 6thcycles of the She-Ventures Mentoring program. Through structured mentorship and strategic skills development, we are immensely proud to be part of the success stories of over 200 female SMEs impacted in these 2 cycles.

This year, we also concluded the first phase of our work with Alluvial Agriculture under a MasterCard funded programme to provide gender mainstreaming support and training for grassroots women champions, to scale up block chain farming to over 65,000 small holder farmer beneficiaries.

It has indeed been a fulfilling and Impactful year for WISCAR. We have touched many lives positively and have helped to accelerate the opportunities for women in leadership. We look forward with great anticipation to the returns on the investments made. Our key performance indicator remains skills and capability enhancement and the increased numbers of women in the leadership pipeline actualizing their aspirations and shattering the proverbial glass ceiling to take their place in society.

We kicked off this year’s Annual leadership and Mentoring Conference with our WISCAR Mentoring walk at the scenic Eko Atlantic City, where we walked to emphasize the importance of mentorship, role model-ling, networks, and female leadership in our journeys to Playing Big and Taking our Place. We also hosted an insightful virtual youth panel with young leaders playing big in various sectors and nine (9) speed mentor-ing roundtable sessions with accomplished and experienced industry experts many of whom also served as WISCAR mentors.

Today’s event is our flagship event and marks the Grand Finale of the WISCAR 2021 Annual Leadership &Mentoring Conference. We have a power-packed line up for you. Our esteemed panelists in the persons of; Kafilat Araoye, MD/CEO Lotus Bank, Fola Laoye, CEO of Iwosan Investments, Owen Omogiafo, President & Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, and Lara Lana, Managing Director, Maersk Nigeria, in a keynote panel session moderated by Kayode Okikiolu, well known Presenter/Reporter-Channels Television. Our panelists will share from their own personal experiences the importance of female leadership in economic growth and sustainable development of our nation.

We will, as is our custom be bestowing the 10th Distinguished WISCAR Award to a worthy recipient, a woman in leadership, a role model, a financial expert, and innovative leader Mrs. Bola Adesola. After delivering what I know will be an inspiring keynote address, I will be engaging her in a fireside chat. Before l hand over the microphone to our MC, Tokunboh George-Taylor. Permit me to specially acknowledge and appreciate all our sponsors and donors for their generous financial and in-kind support to WISCAR this year and from inception. Without your support and partnership, we would not be here today. May the work that we achieve together through your gifts of time, intellect and sponsorship continue to inspire and deliver the change we want to see in our world.

I also wish to express profound appreciation to our Patrons, our formidable WISCAR Advisory Board, Member of the various WISCAR Subcommittees and our selfless, inspiring, and growing community of WISCAR members and Mentors, Mentees, Alumni and volunteers for your continued support. We are first and foremost a leadership and mentoring network that depends on the generosity and commitment of others to succeed. I thank the 2021 conference planning committee led by our chairperson, Folake Ani-Mumuney for working tirelessly to deliver 4 unique events this year in line with our conference theme. Finally, I thank the staff of the WISCAR secretariat led by our Executive director, Fabia Ogunmekan for their hard work and dedication to advance the WISCAR vision.

In closing I would like to leave you with these words from Tara Mohr author of the book PLAYING BIG. ‘Playing big doesn’t come from working more, pushing harder, or finding confidence. It comes from listening to the most powerful and secure part of you, not the voice of self-doubt.”

I thank all of you in advance for your active participation. To all us in the room, and to our actively engaged online audience stay tuned and get ready to be inspired, because it is TIME to be bold. It is time to LEAD, to PLAY BIG – and to Take Our Place.

Thank you!

Amina Oyagbola

Founder/Chairperson

Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR)

November 27, 2021.

The post 2021 FOUNDER’S ADDRESS – THEME: PLAYING BIG; TIME TO TAKE OUR PLACE appeared first on WISCAR.

The 2021 Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference was successfully held from the 23^rd through to the 27^th of November 2021. The theme for the conference “PLAYING BIG; TIME TO TAKE OUR PLACE’’ was explored virtually and physically and showcased 3 events over 4 days with over 1600 (One Thousand Six Hundred) delegates in attendance at the various events from across Nigeria, the Continent, and the diaspora. It was truly a global event with insightful and engaging conversations with several calls to action. Conference delegates were drawn from the Corporate World, Enterprise, Government, Development, and the Civil Society Sectors.

VIRTUAL YOUTH PANEL

The first event in our lineup of events was the Virtual Youth Panel which took place on Tuesday the 23^rd November 2021. Under the umbrella theme for the 2021 conference “Playing Big; Time to Take our Place” we had 9 phenomenal speakers explore two sub-themes viz “Playing Big; She Did That” and “Taking our Place”.

The first panel “Playing Big; She Did That” had young leaders pushing the boundaries of the entrepreneurial landscape through technological innovations. Our speaker line up included; Temie Giwa-Tubosun (Founder & CEO, Life Bank), Onajite Emerhor (Head, Google for Startups Accelerator Africa), Folake Owodunni (Co-Founder, Emergency Response Africa & WISCAR Alumni) and Melissa Basque Roux the Principal Officer AFAWA/African Development Bank who moderated the conversation. This discussion generated useful information such as the significant role of networks, community, and mentorship in actualizing our aspirations, they also spoke on the importance of playing bold and thriving, side by side facing challenges head-on while climbing the career ladder.

The second panel explored the sub-theme “Taking our Place” and the panelists were; Kemi Onabanjo-Joseph (Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company), Samson Itodo (Executive Director, Yiaga Africa), Abosede Alimi (Co-Founder ElectHer), and Blessing Ocheido (Director General, Platinum Interventions Care Initiative & WISCAR Alumni). Femi Taiwo the Executive Director LEAP Africa moderated the conversation. The conversations from this panel bordered on actionable and practical steps to ensure women and people with disabilities are included and engaged in decisions that affect us and our society. They spoke on the importance of true integration and inclusion of people with disabilities through representation of women and people with disabilities in every step of the political process.

We also had goodwill messages from industry leaders and experts including Comfort Lamptey the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Adeoye Fadeyibi the MD/CEO of EKEDC and Ayisha Osori the Director, Executive Vice President’s Office, Open Society Foundations who also provided us with recommendations for Playing Bold and Big.

Key Learnings from both sessions.

• Be intentional about mentorship and self-development.
• Build a community and network of like-minded people that hold you accountable to your goals.
• Always be prepared to seize opportunities.
• Individuals, Private Organizations and the government should take deliberate actions towards actualizing an inclusive society that provides women, people with disabilities and all marginalized persons with equal opportunities.
• Everyone should be conscious and interested in political happenings in their environment and society.
• Be politically franchised by participating in political activities and actively voting.

ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS “MEET-A-WISCAR”

The second event in the 2021 Annual Leadership & Mentoring Conference was the Virtual Roundtable Mentoring session which took place from the 24^th to 26^th of November 2021. This event had 9 mentoring sessions with 9 accomplished exceptional women who shared their career trajectory and journey with participants.

The Mentors for this event were; Dr. Omobola Johnson (Chairman of Guinness Nigeria), F. Boma Ayomide Alabi OON SAN (Founding partner, Primera Africa Legal), Maryam Uwais MFR (Special Advisor to the President on Social Investments), Funke Opeke (CEO of MaineOne),  Funke Amobi   (Regional Head, People and Culture for West Africa in Africa-regions Standard Bank Group), Titilayo Akisanya (Founder/CEO Theta Alpha Consult Ltd), Eugenia Abu (Ace Broadcaster & Journalist/CEO Eugenia Abu Media), Omasan Ogisi, (GM Corporate Affairs MTN Nigeria), and Amina Oyagbola, (Founder & Chairperson WISCAR).

Key Learnings from the Sessions.

• Be intentional about learning and growing as knowledge is power and a vital key to success.
• Be a master of your craft and let your expertise be recognized by being deliberate about visibility.
• Be available to bring about solutions when there is a gap,
• Be a woman with sterling character and values; conduct yourself with the utmost respect. Be confident and comfortable in your own skin and dress for success!
• Ensure you make impact wherever you find yourself, give back to your society as much as you can and be part of the positive change.
• Invest in building and maintaining relationships, your network is your net worth.
• If your job does not scare you then it is not big enough, therefore step up to new challenges and be resilient.
• Be your best self, do the best work, and give the best results.

GRAND FINALE

The final event of the conference was held both physically and virtually on the 27^th of November 2021. Venue of the physical convening was the Shell Hall, Muson Center Onikan Lagos, Nigeria.  It was anchored by Tokunboh George-Taylor, Managing Director Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Unekwu Nwaezeapu, a Marketing Communications professional and WISCAR Alumni. Our event hosts set the scene for the day and made everyone welcome. The event was declared opened with special rendition of the Nigerian National Anthem by Opera Singer Ranti Ihimoyan.

We were indeed privileged to have distinguished personalities honor us with their presence to provide goodwill messages as follows;

GOODWILL MESSAGES

Professor Yemi Osinbajo GCON- Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His Excellency was represented by the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen OFR. In his goodwill message, the Vice President commended WISCAR for their work on women empowerment, he acknowledged the He-for-She’s present at the conference and encouraged all Nigerian men to support the cause of gender empowerment. He further stated that one of the deliverables expected from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs was to advocate for male allies for the cause of gender parity, equity and empowerment in all the states of the Federation. This ongoing advocacy has resulted in remarkable progress being made for women and girls at the Federal and State levels. His Excellency the Vice-President emphasized the importance of the fight against all forms of gender-based violence against women. He expatiated on adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as a having exposed the menace of gender-based violence In Nigeria and indeed globally. It was noted for instance that statistics from a recent study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported by the Norwegian Government shared that 28% of Nigerian Women between the ages of 25-29years have experienced some form of physical violence since the age of 15.

Speaking on the conference theme His Excellency expressed that “Playing Big” requires that women play strategic roles in national development. He further expressed that not only should every woman and girl be safe in their respective homes, community and place of work, they must all be given the opportunities and tools to enable them to become socially, financially and economically empowered. His Excellency commended women in the financial sector for breaking the glass ceiling and enjoined them to explore strategies to develop new interventions to include gender responsive budgeting, assess the gender responsiveness of key fiscal interventions including the fiscal stimulus packages with specific commitments aimed at improving the safety, and economical livelihood of women and girls.

Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria.

In his goodwill message, the Honourable Minister remarked on the great timing of conference considering the status of gender inequality especially post the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that women in our African societies are still not as empowered as they should be, and noted that the education and mentorship of women would provide a space where women can discuss and explore their aspirations as well as be encouraged to not only aspire but also get into leadership positions. He noted that this could be achieved by supporting women with skills acquisition, confidence and networks. He concluded his remarks by stating that preparing women through mentorship programmes was of significant importance in the acceleration of gender equality and gender empowerment and for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa– Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

In her goodwill message, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa congratulated WISCAR for her continuous dedication to women’s empowerment.  She stated that a nation that does not utilize the skills of women will remain underdeveloped and Nigeria as a country needs to do better with issues of gender inclusion.  Referencing the conference theme, she encouraged all women to follow their passion, aim big and dare to venture beyond their comfort zone, despite challenges that may arise.  She also emphasized on the importance of mentorship in career success and its role in building the Nigeria of our dreams.  She concluded her remarks charging the delegates that we are all agents of change and that by working together we can build the Nigeria of our dreams.

Comfort Lamptey- UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

In her goodwill message, Madam Comfort Lamptey commended WISCAR for its commitment and diligence in completing its 2021 mentorship program and expressed on behalf of UN Women its pride in collaborating with WISCAR over the past year. She articulated the undisputable impact of women’s leadership in stirring the cause of the COVID-19 recovery globally. She also noted the capacity of Nigerian Women to lead in the highest offices, evident in the fact that they are at the helm of international organizations such as the United Nations, the WTO and in several private institutions.  She stated that given these capabilities the low representation of Nigerian women in political leadership was rather unfortunate. She stated that women made up only 3.8 % of those in elective offices across states and only 16% of appointed positions at the national level. She therefore called for more female voices in the political space advocating for the rights and opportunities of women.  She also spoke on the role of mentorship in ensuring women continue to have a seat at the table where decisions on the national agenda are being made. She encouraged everyone to advocate for the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill and leverage male allies to accomplish that. She concluded her goodwill message with words of encouragement to all young women to continue to see themselves as nation builders and to use their skills, talent and determination to build a more resilient and inclusive Nigeria.

THE FOUNDER’S SPEECH

The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola formally welcomed participants to the event and expressed her joy for an opportunity for a physical gathering and her gratitude to everyone virtually and physically present. In line with the conference theme: “PLAYING BIG; TIME TO TAKE OUR PLACE” she highlighted the importance of women’s leadership in the face of COVID-19 and the rise of more women to leadership positions in all sectors and particularly celebrated the banking sector in Nigeria. She stated that the percentage of women on boards in Nigeria as at August 2020 stood at 20%, well above the world average of 17%, the African average of 14% and West African average of 11%. Further speaking on female leadership in the Nigerian Banking sector she spoke of the paradigm shift in the sector where we witnessed between the years 2020 and 2021 an increase in the number of women at the top of institutional leadership with currently eight women serving as Chief Executive Officers /Managing Directors (MDs) of leading banks. This she explained was a direct outcome of gender progressive policies in play and what can happen when effectively utilised.

In her remarks, she noted that on the flip-side of what was happening in the banking sector was the discouraging situation of women’s participation and representation in politics and governance as the 2019 elections witnessed the return of only a few women to political positions in Nigeria. She noted that currently only 7 out of 109 Senators and 22 of the 360 House of Representatives members are women. She called for a change in the upcoming 2023 elections and encouraged delegates present to participate by getting their PVC’s and voting for or supporting female candidates.

Further speaking on the 2021 Conference theme, she expressed that it was vital to showcase and celebrate women exemplars and role models who not only inspire by their actions but who also pay it forward by lifting other women up through mentorship and sponsorship. She also shared that this years’ conference was aimed at showcasing leading women driving transformational change by Playing Big in their various fields, from social innovation to entrepreneurship, to the corporate world and politics.

She went on to recognize the 12th stream of mentees graduating from the 12-month WIN I & II programme and spoke on the work that WISCAR had undertaken in the course of the year in the areas of advocacy, program development as well as strategic collaborations and partnerships with organizations like UN Women, FCMB and Alluvial Agriculture.  Expanding on the strategic collaboration with UN Women Nigeria she shared that WISCAR was appointed Private Sector Liaison to UN Women Nigeria to strengthen private sector support and participation towards the acceleration of several UN Women, Gender Equality, and Gender Empowerment (GEWE) initiatives.

She thanked all the resource persons and Mentors who had contributed to the successful execution of the various programmes in the course of the year and the WISCAR Secretariat for superb delivery. She celebrated all the esteemed Advisory Board Members and the leadership of the Chairs of WISCAR’s sub-committees. She expressed gratitude to all the speakers and panelists who had very graciously accepted WISCAR’s invitation to inspire and empower others by participating in the event. She specially acknowledged the keynote speaker, Bola Adesola gracing the occasion with her esteemed presence. She expressed her sincere appreciation to all the 2021 Donors and Sponsors for their generous financial and in-kind support in an exceedingly difficult year, and all donors who have supported WISCAR in the past.

KEY-NOTE PANEL SESSION

The event had one plenary session with the theme “Women Playing Big”. The distinguished Panelists were; Kafilat Araoye – MD/CEO Lotus Bank, Fola Laoye – Co-Founder and CEO Iwosan Investments Limited, Owen Omogiafo – President & Group CEO, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria PlC, Lara Lana – Managing Director, Maersk Nigeria. Kayode Okikiolu, Anchor & Reporter at Channels Television, moderated the discussion.

Key Learnings from the plenary session

• It is essential to utilize mentorship to build a support structure to take you to the next level. Mentorship is not a one- way street, you can be mentored in a structured programme, or seek mentoring by watching what steps women you admire take.
• No woman is an island, your network and communities play an important role in your growth, they also provide you with accountability for your plans and aspirations.
• Always be your authentic self, be deliberate and have some stealth.
• Preparedness for opportunities is a key success factor we must all build.
• Stand out from the crowd by doing your best work at all times.
• Go beyond what you are being told to do as people build confidence in you when their familiar with your capabilities.
• Step out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself and strive for the best.
• Your character is fundamental to your growth, respect others and treat people kindly.
• Utilize all bad experiences as a platform to make change, improve and learn from those experiences.
• Build a reputation of competence, capability, principles and values
• Private and public organizations should provide practical policies and supporting infrastructure for the growth and the acceleration of women’s careers.
• Organizations should not be afraid of affirmative action and providing more women a seat at the table.
• Be intentional about acquiring knowledge and self-development.
• As your confidence grows so does your capacity, be confident of your skills and the value you bring.
• Organizations should prioritize the mental health of their staff by putting in place policies that care for it.
• Be a Visionary and be deliberate towards achieving your goals.

In closing the panelists were asked their definition of a Woman Playing Big and their answers were;

• Lara Lana: A woman will play big if she is authentic, and dares to be the first-rate version of herself. Know who you are and be like water as water can be cold, it can be hot, it can be steamy and it can be a rain shower in other words know when to be dynamic but stay authentic.
• Kafilat Araoye: A woman will play big if she if is a visionary, if she is deliberate in her actions towards achieving her goals. She will play big if she is audacious, determined and demands to have a seat at the table.
• Fola Laoye: A woman will play big if she performs, and ensures that in any task little or big, given or chosen she does it well and she gets results.
• Owen Omogiafo: No woman is an Island; a woman will play big where she ensures she is intentional about creating the right network and support structure specifically to assist her in taking her career to the next level.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The highlight of the Conference was the Keynote speech and Fireside chat with Financial Industry leader, Gender Empowerment and parity advocate, Financial Inclusion Advocate, and the Chairperson of Ecobank, Bola Adesola.

In her keynote speech, she commended WISCAR for the remarkable work they have done for the past 12 years geared at developing women to build a better nation. She stated that the theme of the conference Playing Big; Time to Take our Place is indeed what WISCAR has been doing within the community of women-oriented NGOs, as it very early on in its inception established its purpose and set about executing this purpose through focused programming around structured mentorship of women in careers and supporting them in advancing to leadership. Still speaking on the theme, she expressed her definition of Playing Big as;

• Taking your place of leadership in your chosen career or field of endeavour.
• It is about setting your sights on the apex of the success ladder in your journey through life.
• It is about determining earlier on what success should look like for you, not for anyone else
• It is about understanding the harsh operating environment yet being determined to navigate and traverse the terrain despite the hurdles and challenges along the way.
• It is about identifying the role and importance of your community in the attainment of your dreams.
• It is about embracing risks.
• It is about celebrating milestone achievements.
• It is about stepping into your purpose.
• And most importantly it is about PLAYING Big and STAYING Big!

She also shared a few key attributes that have been instrumental to her successful career journey, which has now termed “The Success P’s”. They are; Purpose, Planning, Preparation, People, Positioning, Perseverance, Performance & Productivity. She further spoke on electoral franchise and encouraged all women to register, and vote at elections as there are 100 million women in Nigeria meaning that women can move the dial towards good governance and firm leadership if we decide to. She called for more gender-oriented organizations to help African women build back better by providing more appropriate funding support and capacity for female-owned businesses, closing the gender gap by increasing diversity in hiring, promoting work-life balance and equal training opportunities for women. She encouraged women to support each other and pass the baton to other women and ended her call to action with an interesting quote “As women, we must first Think BIG to Play BIG, and then Stay BIG. We will create that place and no better time than now to Take It.”

Her Call to Action;

• We need more women to show interest in the public sector by running for political leadership positions.
• Women must register to vote and vote. We have the numbers to make change happen in the public sector.
• Leaders must establish protocols to create gender balance.
• We need more funding for female-owned businesses.
• We need more gender-oriented organizations like WISCAR to help women build back better from the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The private sector should work on closing the gender gap by increasing diversity in hiring, promoting work-life balance, and equal training opportunities for women.
• Women should support other women!

Following her keynote speech, she sat in an intimate fireside conversation with the Founder and Chairperson of WISCAR Amina Oyagbola where she shared more intimately with the audience her life and career journey.

PRESENTATION OF THE DISTINGUISHED WISCAR AWARD

Following an insightful and inspirational session, the 2021 Distinguished WISCAR Award was presented to Mrs. Bola Adesola in recognition of her outstanding career as an innovative and visionary leader, her advocacy and work for women empowerment, sustainable development and growth of Nigeria and Africa. The conferment of the award was preceded by a specially curated citation of Mrs. Adesola’s distinguished career and achievements.

In her response Mrs. Adesola expressed her honour at being conferred with the award and joining the great company of the previous distinguished recipients. She thanked the Board and Management of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment.

MENTEE TESTIMONIAL  

The next segment of this rich programme was a live testimony from Dolapo Agbede, WISCAR Mentee from the WIN III programme. Dolapo a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and inclusion advocate, living with a Visual impairment spoke of her transformational experience being a part of the WISCAR mentoring programme. She described WISCAR as a safe space where women can prepare for the next step of their careers. She testified that she and other mentees in her cohort experienced authentic mentorship with women who are committed, experienced and successful to ensure that they too achieve their set goals, take their place and play big.

BOOK LAUNCH – THE SHEROES OF BEIJING

At the conference, the much-awaited commemorative book, ‘The Sheroes of Beijing; Telling the Nigeria Stories 25 years after the World Conference on Women’ was launched. On the stage to unveil the book were Dame Pauline Tallen OFR the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Comfort Lamptey the UN Women Country Representative of Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Members of the Advisory Board of WISCAR. Madam Comfort Lamptey commended the work of the WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola and the Executive Director Fabia Ogunmekan for their commitment to leadership and mentorship of women and their contributions to the curation and publication of the book.

She detailed that 2020 marked 25 years since the 1999 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. The book shares the stories in an interview-style format of twenty (20) phenomenal women who participated in this conference, and also served as mentors in the pioneering Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentoring Programme executed by UN Women Nigeria and WISCAR. She thanked all the distinguished women that contributed to the stories in the book and WISCAR for their hard work. She also thanked the European Union through the EU – UN Spotlight Initiative for their support.

CONCLUSION AND APPRECIATION

The Conference concluded with the graduation of WISCAR’s 12^th stream of Mentees for the year 2021, from the WIN 1 & 2 Programme. 35 mentees received Certificates of Completion.

Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, WISCAR Advisory Board Member and Chair of the 2021 Conference Planning Committee, and Fabia Ogunmekan WISCAR’s Executive Director gave the vote of thanks with special appreciation to Distinguished Keynote Speaker Bola Adesola, the keynote panelists, and all our speakers. They thanked all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors, and participants for making the 2021 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference a memorable and glittering success.

Our 2021 sponsor line up was made up of the following organizations;

First Bank, Bank of Industry, Access Bank, MTN Nigeria, Sterling Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Maersk, IHS, Ernst & Young, FSDH, FCMB, Lotus Bank, MainOne, FBN Quest, UBA, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Ecobank, Nigerian LNG Ltd, United Nations Women Nigeria, AKMS Consulting Ltd, DKK Media, Hill+Knowlton, Eko Atlantic, Oyagbola Chambers, Wild Fusion, Emergency Response Africa, Wema Bank Alat, Media Sponsors, Africa Business Radio, Channels TV, Business Day & DBN Media.

ADVOCACY & POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE

These recommendations will guide and form the bedrock of WISCAR’s Advocacy work in 2022. We ask that you join us in supporting and lending your voice and resources to this agenda as we continue to work together to execute our mission of developing women to build a better nation.

• Pass the Gender Equal Opportunities Bill

WISCAR advocates for the passage of the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill as this will bring us closer to achieving true and holistic gender equality and equity in Nigeria.

• Increased Private Sector Participation in Gender Equality and Empowerment Initiatives.

As private sector liaison to UN Women Nigeria, WISCAR calls for private sector organizations to support women’s empowerment by signing up to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment principles and other Gender Equality and Gender Empowerment (GEWE) driven initiatives around eradicating Gender based Violence in the work place and in our communities and ensuring more Gender responsive budgeting and procurement.

• Support Adequate political representation of women

WISCAR advocates for fair representation of women in politics in Nigeria. It in this regard that we call for support for the passage of the Bill for the Amendment of the Constitution to secure 111 Additional Seats for Women in the legislative houses. In Nigeria only 21 out of 469 seats are currently occupied by women at the National Assembly and 45 out of 990 seats in the States Houses of Assembly. It is our hope that the passage of the Bill for additional seats and other gender bills including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill will aid inclusion in political representation and National Development.

• Inclusion of people with disability

WISCAR believes that there is no true inclusion without adequate care and concern for people with disabilities. WISCAR thus calls for all individuals, public organizations and private organizations to ensure that they mainstream people living with disabilities by providing opportunities within workplaces and the enabling environment to thrive without discrimination.

• Promote Total Wellbeing of Employees

WISCAR advocates that it is the responsibility of employers both in the private and in public sector to prioritize the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of their employers and create an enabling environment for their positive growth.

Signed

Amina Oyagbola                                                                             Fabia Ogunmekan

Founder/Chairperson                                                                      Executive Director

The post 2021 WISCAR ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING CONFERENCE – EVENT COMMUNIQUE appeared first on WISCAR.

Podcast with Africa Business Radio

In Janurary 2020, WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola had a sit down session with Africa Buisness Radio articulating her career journey and vision that led her to starting WISCAR and much more https://www.africabusinessradio.com/content/452

WISCAR Executive Secretary Fabia Ogunmekan also had a session introducing the WISCAR Mentoring Programmes https://africabusinessradio.com/content/496

SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK

In February 2020, WISCAR hosted a panel discussion “Forces for Change”; Technology as a Tool for Accelerating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion” at the Social Media Week Lagos 2020. Our distinguished panellists were Toki Mabogunje, Lola Esan, Tobi Obasa, Adenike Adeyemi with moderation by our ES Fabia Ogunmekan. The discussion highlighted the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace and how organizations can use technology to foster a gender balanced environment to drive better productivity outcome. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/social-media-week/

Win-With-WISCAR

WIN I & II:
We graduated our 11^th stream of mentees from our School of Excellence, a structured competency based development programme. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/win-i-and-ii/
 
WIN III: We also launched our WIN III programme, which is targeted at CEOs and top-level management career and business women, Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/wiscar-win-3/

COVID 19 REPORT – Between May and July 2020 WISCAR Launched 2 reports.

WISCAR and its partners designed and disseminated a survey to investigate and gain a better understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on working women. Given its access to a community of working women across the professions and enterprise, WISCAR was uniquely placed to bring a local perspective to the growing global body of work on the effects of the pandemic on women. The report also takes a look on what UN Women terms a ‘shadow pandemic’ an increased risk of violence towards women and girls. Read survey-
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WISCAR-COVID-19-IMPACT-SURVEY-July-2020.pdf

TOWARDS GENDER EQUITY; TRANSFORMING INSTITUTIONS, SYSTEMS AND CULTURES AS A ROUTE TO IMPACT

In July, WISCAR collaborated with the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre to host a webinar communicating how to transform organizations, cultures and build gender equity. Watch here- 
 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bMayop7_OCjQyMifjujBC4MIEe8lxoEr/view

BEIJING+25 INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAMME

In commemorating 25 years post the Beijing conference WISCAR in Partnership with UN Women Nigeria curated and delivered between April and November 2020, the ‘Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentorship Programme’. Learn more-
 
https://wiscar.ng/programmes/beijing25-mentoring-programme/

2020 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING CONFERENCE

In our usual fashion we closed out the year with our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, held virtually this year and themed “THE FUTURE WE WANT”. At the conference we critically examined the issues of equity, equality and the importance of inclusive economies for nations to thrive as we re-imagine the future we want for ourselves and the next generation. We also explored what active and concrete steps we can take now as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond. Enjoy the Conference recording here  https://youtu.be/P7iHMsyhaHc
Read our Conference Communique here-
 
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

OPEN MIC SESSION

Watch the Open Mic Session from our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference with Ibukun Oyedeji the CFO Ecobank Nigeria, our Founder Amina Oyagbola, and Executive Secretary Fabia Ogunmekan –https://youtu.be/nrrkgcYGQq4

In our usual fashion we closed out the year with our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, held virtually this year and themed “THE FUTURE WE WANT”. At the conference we critically examined the issues of equity, equality and the importance of inclusive economies for nations to thrive as we re-imagine the future we want for ourselves and the next generation. We also explored what active and concrete steps we can take now as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond. Enjoy the Conference recording here  https://youtu.be/P7iHMsyhaHc
Read our Conference Communique here-
 
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

HBC SERIES

The HBC series is one of our most requested masterclasses and the lockdown restrictions did not stop our delivery as we took it virtual exploring topics from Getting Ahead in the Workplace to Business Etiquette for professional success. The HBC masterclasses are one not to miss this 2021. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/hbc-series/

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

In commemorating International Women’s Day 2020 which was themed EachforEqual #GenerationEquality, WISCAR streamed the informative Documentary Money Marriage produced by Shucks Media. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/international-womens-day-celebration/

COVID 19 OUTREACH

WISCAR rallied members of its community to support our COVID-19 Relief efforts. We implemented various feeding and food provision programmes across three states in Nigeria; Lagos, Rivers and the FCT, partnering with various organizations to ensure all of our interventions reached the targeted beneficiaries. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/covid-19-fundraising-drive-outreach/

IMPACT REPORT

We launched our impact report, showcasing our growth and impact over the past 11 years. Read the report-
 
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WISCAR-Impact-Report_-June-2020.pdf

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH WOMEN IN CORPORATE CAREERS SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE

In September 2020 as part of the activities marking the 75^th anniversary of the United Nations WISCAR hosted 2 panel discussions in collaboration with Social Good Lagos on the theme;
 
Shaping Her Future” the successes, challenges and solutions for the next generation of women. You can watch both sessions below.
https://youtu.be/cPOvmwvuBww

https://youtu.be/OrCgdYqWD_I

MENTORING WALK

In November 2020 adhering to the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, WISCAR executed our first ever Virtual Walk to flag off the WISCAR Annual Conference. As a community we took over 1,000,000 physical steps as we walked towards our desires for the future we want. Learn more-  https://wiscar.ng/virtual-walk/

ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS; MEET-A-WISCAR

Our roundtable session was one of the highlights of our Annual Leadership Conference. To know more about our speakers-
https://wiscar.ng/programmes/round-table-sessions/

Learn more on the Round table session-
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

2020 BROCHURE

Take a look at our 2020 end of year brochure-
 
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/wiscar-2020-brochure-iv-copy.pdf

We kicked off the new year, in January inducting our 12^th stream of mentees into our School of Excellence, our flagship structured competency based development programme. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/win-i-and-ii/

The post WISCAR turns 13! appeared first on WISCAR.