Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR), with assistance from UN Women, created the Women Empowerment Principles (WEP) to make organisations gender sensitive in order to ensure that more women fill important leadership roles and advance gender equality.
This was the main message of a WEP private sector recognition and rapid training engagement on gender action planning and gender responsive budgeting that was recently hosted at the Wheatbaker in Ikoyi, Lagos, and attended by professional women from various industries.
WISCAR has served as the UN's private sector liaison on gender equality for the past year, and 91 organisations have committed to following the WEP's guiding principles, which include establishing high-level corporate leadership for gender equality, treating men and women fairly at work, ensuring the safety and well-being of both male and female employees, and promoting the education, training, and professional development of women.
It also talks about how to put supply chain, marketing, and company development practises in place that empower women; how to advocate for equality through community action; and how to track and openly report gender equality progress.
Amina Oyagbola, the founder of WISCAR, said during the event that the organisation is focused on leadership, mentorship, and advocacy for women. This is accomplished by increasing the professional women's capacity to remain in the workforce, advance up the career ladder, and have a positive impact on society through the policies they create.
Fabia Ogunmekan, the organization's executive director, claimed that while women work hard and strive for perfection to complete tasks, having a majority of women in leadership positions will eventually help organisations thrive for the good of everybody.
Ogunmekan said, “We believe that the private sector is critical to letting that happen. The government cannot do it alone; the private sector is known to deliver and execute. So, our work is to show the private sector that we are investing in women to achieve gender equality through the strategic framework of WEP
“These include fair working conditions for women, maternity and paternity leaves benefits, things that empowers employees to put in their best. They are practicable tools that if organisations sign up to, it will help them promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.”
Patience Ekeoba, national programme officer for UN Women, stressed in her remarks that companies must implement the WEP in order for them to track and report their progress.
"The WEPS are a set of seven guiding principles developed by UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact to drive private sector initiatives toward gender equality and the sustainable development goals, acknowledging the private sector as a catalyst for change in this area," the speaker said.
"Around the world, we have witnessed the undeniable influence of women's leadership in directing the COVID-19 recovery process. Many women hold senior leadership positions in Nigeria's private sector, which deserves praise for this. We regard this as a genuine chance to improve the status of women's representation in Nigeria's leadership by taking into account their experiences and abilities."
WEPs have partnered with the business sector to address major issues like the gender wage gap, sexual harassment, and discrimination, as well as to promote gender-responsive procurement and work-life balance. As we establish better societies, the private sector can implement organisational rules that support women's particular needs and guarantee their voices are heard in leadership and decision-making at all levels.
