The International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated earlier this month, looking at the commendable accomplishments of women globally while demanding greater equality.
Deloitte Nigeria, in commemoration of the celebration, recognised women for their achievements, joining calls for increased equality and representation.
Speaking with BusinessDay, Marie-Therese Phido, West Africa clients and industries leader, Deloitte, said: “Deloitte has been very supportive, especially with the flexible working hours policy for all employees. Every employee has internet access provided by the firm so that they can work from home, if the need arises.
“In Deloitte, women are given equitable opportunity to progress and the family is viewed as very important in the network.”
UN women’s website stated the 2016 theme for International Women’s Day was “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.” The UN observance on March 8 is expected to reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals. It will likewise focus on new commitments under the UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.
On its part, the International Women’s Day Organisation has adopted the theme for 2016 as; Pledge for Parity, as progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places.
Last year, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, during his 2015 address on IWD said, “when we unleash the power of women, we can secure the future for all.”
This year, Ki-moon in his message for International Women’s Day 2016 has said, “We have shattered so many glass ceilings we created a carpet of shards. Now we are sweeping away the assumptions and bias of the past so women can advance across new frontiers.”
“The corporate role of women has evolved in the corporate environment. In the past some corporate jobs were earmarked as female; for example, secretaries and typists. Today more women are working and excelling in jobs that had previously been “male defined”. Today, a growing body of research has shown that enhancing women’s economic options boosts national economies. Just as men have a role to play in promoting gender equality, women also have a major role to play especially in mentoring other women,” said Marie-Therese.
Over the years, Deloitte has built up a strong representation in several major African cities and has successfully undertaken a variety of business advisory and consulting assignments for clients in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. With the potent combination of extensive local knowledge, countrywide representation and international expertise, the company offers its clients the best services and solutions to meet their needs.
