Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele has stated that progress doesn't happen automatically, rather it does, when individuals, institutions and the Government make deliberate choices in their investments.
Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, highlighted the choices to include the choice to invest in education, choice to design inclusive workplaces, choice to mentor the next generation and choice to challenge outdated stereotypes that could limit human potentials.
The Deputy Governor made the above statement during the International Women's day (IWD) Celebration with the theme "Investing in Women to Build Sustainable Impact ", put together by Lafarge Plc in Lagos.
Presenting a paper, that aligned with the theme ‘Investing in Women to Build Sustainable Impact’, in Lagos, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele said leaders must build cultures where competence is recognised, diverse leadership styles are valued and opportunities were distributed evenly irrespective of gender, noting that fairly sustainable progress could happen fast when government policies, private sector leadership and community initiatives move in the same direction.
She noted that although, a woman's career is shaped by biological and social realities which workplaces sometimes fail to acknowledge, however she said allowing equal participation for women in work places as men is therefore not only a matter of fairness, but also a smart strategy for strengthening workforce and expanding the economic opportunities available in it.
Noimot Salako-Oyedele opined that it was imperative that forward thinking organisations acknowledge these challenges and implement policies that support women throughout their working lives, listing them to include policies like flexible working arrangements, maternity and paternity leave policies, return to work programs after career breaks, workplace childcare support and support systems for women navigating midcareer health transitions.
The Deputy Governor while appreciating LAFARGE AFRICA for acknowledging the important role Women play and for putting the event together, revealed that when women are given the opportunity to succeed, their families, organizations, communities as well as the whole country at large benefits, informing that when women rise, societies rise with them and when investments are made in a woman today, it not simply shapes careers, but also it shapes the future.
In his remarks, the CEO/GMD Lafarge, Mr. Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, said women must be given equal roles with men which he said informed Lafarge's determination to open up more opportunities for women within the organization, adding that behind every statistic of gender equality there was a story untold, while explaining that Lafarge had always ensured investments and support for women beyond the IWD celebration, with the belief that when you invested in women, you would gain partnership and build a culture where merit, capability and performance would determine opportunities.
The Director, Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Lafarge Plc, Mrs. Viola Graham-Douglas, in her welcome remarks, said women were worth celebrating everyday as Lafarge was committed to building women for a sustainable future, urging women to support themselves, with a view to fabricating strong teams and creating more innovative institutions.
She noted that people had been celebrating IWD for decades with no impact, forgetting that women remained the pillars of every family unit, noting that if given equal rights with men, they would be contributing their quota to the society while ensuring progress and long term measurable economic gains.
