In commemoration of the international Women’s Day, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), recently hosted its female workers, with commitment to give them the right tools and access to equal opportunity with men at work place.
The event, which took place at the Lagos office of the company, with the theme #Each for Equal#, and hosted by the FMN women Network, saw various women of different cadres gather to mark the event.
Issues on how the organisation can eliminate stereotypes tagged on women in aspiring for higher and equal positions than men and gender imbalance at the workplaces were highlighted. At the ceremony, a panel of discussants comprising Commissioner for Women Affairs, Sokoto State, Kulu Sifawa and other professionals, spoke at length on gender diversity and equal opportunity at work places. Sifawa, who emphasised the importance of the woman understanding who she is, urged them to keep improving their mental capacity and capability, adding that counselling and mentoring were needed to spur the aspiring woman to greater height.
Chairman of FMN, John Coumantaros, who expressed his support for the women initiative, urged the women called Amazing Amazons to envision the type of business world that will be their model and ideal in 10 years from now, promising the company and his support to bring that dream to pass.
On his part, the Group Managing Director of FMN, Paul Gbedebo, who eulogised the women, noted that all women deserve to be honoured. He reiterated the need to create gender parity, hence, the theme: EachforEqual.
“Despite the monumental impact that women have had on the development of our world, the number suggests that there is still a huge disparity in the way the world perceives and treats women when compared to men. “In an average, women own about 20 per cent less than men in the work places. But here in FMN, the statistics are 3 per cent less. Our effort is to come to parity.
He said according to data from McKenzie and company, “if we close the wage and participation gaps in the world and allow the women participate in labour market, at the same levels as men, we are told it will add 28 trillion dollars or 26 per cent to the global economy by 2025.