Expand opportunities for women in STEM fields — Vodafone CEO
THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai, has urged corporate institutions, particularly those in STEM fields, to strive for gender parity by hiring more women.
She said this at the introduction of the Seats for Ladies in STEM (S4LIS) initiative.
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The initiative is designed to accelerate Ghana's development by encouraging women to embrace STEM.
The Vodafone CEO, who doubles as the Chairperson of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, stated that gender inequality in both policy and academia had had a massive effect on the country’s development.
In a statement issued in Accra, she said: "That undermined the optimal deployment of human capital in numerous countries."
According to her, “Ghana is no different from other Sub-Saharan African nations in that only about 30 per cent of women graduate from post-secondary education in engineering professions. Approximately 30 per cent of all tertiary students are women, according to the demographic census conducted in 2021. Because of this, we lose the ideas and contributions our women could make to scientific research and technological progress.”
She consequently asked businesses to give women more seats in their organisations and to let them participate in decision-making in the boardroom.
"We can only do our part by creating seats for them in our institutions. Together, we can increase diversity in the digital workforce, foster growth and creativity across the nation and produce more comprehensive solutions that are beneficial for everyone.
“Let us expand the number of women who work in STEM fields, welcome them into our workplaces, provide seats for them, and encourage them along the way, but more significantly, let us get them into boardrooms where they can influence decisions," she added.
Mrs Obo-Nai acknowledged the efforts of the government, educational institutions and other stakeholders who had made investments in STEM fields for girls.
