International Women’s Day 2022 may have come and gone, but the lessons and resolutions will surely linger on into the coming months and years across Industries.
Women are generally regarded as agents of change. The popular cliché goes that innovation is feminine. However, this narrative doesn’t often hold water in financial services. But for the longest time, the industry has been a boys-only club industry worldwide and Nigeria in particular and while it seems that a lot is centred is around women in the sector in recent times, recent research shows just how low performing the gender is accounted for from thinking about a career in finances to recruitment, retention and even retirement.
All of this was highlighted in the session led by the brilliant and astute Mrs Chidi Essell, a seasoned finance professional with over two decades of experience in the banking sector. It was pointed out how cultural, physiological and physiological biases have influenced women’s treatment in these spaces. “Too often, women are asked not to be too loud, too feminine, you can use make-up, but not too much so you shouldn’t tempt your co-workers. Ensure you deliver your arguments without so much passion else it would be termed emotional”, she narrated in her impassioned plea to the women of Anchoria as she narrated her experiences about rising the ladder in a male-dominated industry.
The interactive session, aptly titled “Wine and Unwind” was fun-filled and ended on an upbeat note, with all attendees were tasked to pledge how they would help break all biases in the office and their immediate environment. Indeed, bias holds women back! And in the words of the late great activist Martin Luther King, “… Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” At Anchoria, we are committed to breaking all forms of bias together.
It is noteworthy that the industry has always existed to ensure a better and more fulfilling existence. This doesn’t only stop developing game-changing products and processes that change lives. A better life for all means equal access to opportunities and resources to drive and scale growth. A gender-inclusive sector is the first step in this. To celebrate IWD this year, let’s continue to applaud the efforts of the women that went before us intentionally and consistently pushing for a more equal and well-represented industry.
Today and every day in between, we wish you a joy-filled international women’s day!
