Mr. Ibrahim said that MTN Ghana’s D&I aims to include less represented groups, such as women and the differently abled, and has over the past two years made efforts to bridge that gap. “We want to be able to improve women’s representation in leadership positions,” he added.

He said that the company was targeting aggressive ways to be able to achieve their D&I by 2030 by reconsidering external recruitment and internal programmes such as Women in Technology to help develop women. He disclosed that close to 60 percent of external hires in 2023 were female, and MTN Ghana aimed to do an additional 1.5 percent in 2024.

“Between now and 2030, if we’re not aggressive, we will not be able to do it,” Mr. Ibrahim stated.

Speaking to attendees on the theme ‘Accelerating My Progress: My Role as a Woman', Ms. Audrey Abakah, Director SME, Agency Banking and Partnership, urged women not to remain stagnant so they could attract opportunities. She further urged them not to be comfortable at one level for a long time but rather to develop an interest in accelerating their progress.

In order to progress, Ms. Abakah said that women needed to get higher education, skills development, career advancement, and self-advocacy, among others. “It is time women became aggressive,” she emphasised.

She advised them to take care of their health, manage their finances well, and engage in networking.

Mr. Kwaku Edem Damanka, Group Lead of Talent and Corporate Affairs at BTL Africa, called for policies in the workplace against harassment as well as conscious training to unlearn certain biases, especially those that affect women. He added that “indecision is not a favour.”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Self-Search and Coach for MTN Women in Technology, Ms. Sika Twum, spoke on ‘Investing in Women’. Ms. Twum said that women should identify and overcome inner barriers and work on their voice and visibility.

She noted that they needed to build inclusion through professional mastery and sponsorship to co-create and listen for greatness.

MTN Ghana would mark the 2024 International Women’s Day in recognition of the accomplishments of women as well as create a safe space for them. The day would be characterised by an outreach at the Makola Market in Accra to discuss health, economic empowerment, and other areas crucial to women. This initiative would be replicated across all regions of the country.