By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, March 07, GNA – Mrs Audrey Abaka, Director, SME, Agency Banking and Partnerships, Absa Bank, has urged women to move from their comfort zones and embrace opportunities to reach their potential to become better versions of themselves.
“You were created not to be dormant, but to keep moving forward. If you are dormant, you won’t attract good things or the right people to come into your life to elevate you,” she added.
Mrs Abaka said this at the celebration of the 2024 International Women’s Day by MTN Ghana in Accra on the theme, “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress”.
Speaking on why women should be interested in accelerating their progress, she said it gave them a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction in life and encouraged lifelong learning and personal development while increasing their value in the marketplace.
“The higher your value, the better your chance of becoming financially stable and independent and it will increase your chances of accelerating your promotion and securing your seat at the decision table,” she added.
To progress, Mrs Abaka admonished every woman to strive for higher education, skills development, and career advancement.
She also entreated women to surround themselves with a strong support network – mentors, sponsors, and professional bodies and be open to feedback.
“Discover your strengths and sharpen them, seek opportunities for growth, promotion and leadership roles and learn to sell yourself when an opportunity comes. Nominate yourself and tell your story,” she said.
“Walk with the wise and you will be wise, manage your finances well, be adaptable, embrace changes that lead to your progress, be prayerful and develop the resilience to overcome enemies of progress,” She added.
Mrs Joyce Sika Twum, the Chief Executive Officer of Self Search Ghana Limited, speaking on the topic: “Invest in Women, Accelerating Progress and Inclusion”, said a feeling of shame and isolation were some inner barriers that hindered the ability of women to go for opportunities.
She advised that women develop an impact-making voice and made themselves visible in their path towards self-transformation.
Mrs Twum also asked women to build professional mastery and connect with the right bodies to co-create and listen to speakers for greatness and not flaws.
Mr Kwaku Edem Damanka, the Group Head of Talent and Corporate Affairs, at BTL, an experiential, digital marketing and media company, said it was prudent to include colleagues at the workplace or institution in the journey of success.
“Being inclusive is not about doing people favours but helping to unleash the potential in others. It is about acknowledging the worthiness and quality of others and treating them with dignity even if we disagree with their ideologies,” he said.
Speaking on managing workplace harassment, Mr Damanka advised that organisations develop policies on it and enlightened all formal and informal staff on it.
They were also to create open-door policies for people to report their plights to the right people, sometimes anonymously for them to be addressed.
MTN used the platform to graduate “Cohort 2” of its Women In Technology programme where 24 women trained in technology graduated.
It also opened the “Cohort 3” of the programme and introduced 26 women to be trained in technology.
GNA