By Iddi Yire
Accra, Aug 23, GNA – Dr Hazel Berrard Amuah, a Human Resources (HR) Practitioner, has urged women in HR to work together to create a brighter future for Ghana.
“In Ghana, we have a saying – “When women rise, the nation rises.”
Let’s make that a reality. Let’s harness the power of her to create a brighter, more inclusive future for all Ghanaians,” Dr Amuah stated in her address at the opening of the 10th Women in HR Conference of the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) in Accra.
The two-day event on the theme: “The Power of Her: Redefining HR Leadership”, seeks to celebrate the incredible power of women in redefining HR leadership.
It featured a variety of insightful and engaging presentations, thought-provoking discussions and an interactive panel session, which allowed participants the chance to deliberate on issues of women leadership in HR, gain knowledge from seasoned speakers and expand their understanding of the role played by women in the HR landscape in Ghana.
In addition, it served as a backdrop for the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Women in HR Conference, highlighting its successes and underlining the need for enterprises to take the opportunity to join a new wave of inclusive, forward-looking and equitable HR leadership.
Dr Amuah said that as HR leaders in Ghana, women had a unique opportunity to shape the future of the country.
“We have the power to create workplaces that reflect the values of our culture – values like community, respect, and empathy,” she said.
“But to truly harness the power of Her, we must first recognize and overcome the barriers that have held us back for too long. We must confront the biases and stereotypes that have limited our potential and silenced our voices.”
She advised Women in HR to feel free and humble to borrow with pride from each other’s ideas, which work and have had a good impact; saying “Let’s just remember to acknowledge our sources and those who have inspired us. It is pointless to reinvent the wheel.”
She said in Ghana, women make up a significant portion of the workforce, but they were still underrepresented in leadership positions although admittedly, some institutions had really worked very hard to have a balance at both Board and Management levels.
Dr Amuah said women face unique challenges in the workplace, from harassment and discrimination to lack of access to training and development opportunities.
She reiterated that oftentimes there was even no such consideration in crafting policies to accommodate the peculiar challenges that women face such as being married and/or being a family woman.
“We have the power as HR leaders to shape the culture of our organizations. We have the power to create workplaces where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to succeed,” she said.
Mrs Victoria Hajar, Second Vice President of GEA, in her welcome address read on her behalf by Mrs Yvonne Asare-Yeboa, Director of resource Development and Membership, GEA, said a decade ago, GEA embarked on a mission to create a supportive platform for female HR leaders and professionals in Ghana by introducing the annual Women in HR Conference.
Mrs Hajar said the primary objective was to foster the exchange of innovative ideas and best practices, with the aim of enhancing both career advancements and organizational performance.
“Over the past 10 years, this platform has fulfilled that mission, growing from a fledging idea into a vital platform that inspires, empowers, and equips women in HR with the tools, knowledge and support they need to excel in their careers.”
Mrs Hajar said, that since its inception, over 1,200 participants had benefitted from the Conference.
Mrs Yvonne Asare-Yeboa, Director, Resource Development and Membership, GEA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, noted that the GEA created the Women in HR Conference platform to enable Women in HR to come together to share experiences and best practices.
GNA