Recent reports from bodies such as the United Nations suggest that the Coronavirus, COVID-19, will have differential socioeconomic impacts on men and women, with women predicted to face more negative impacts. Issues such as this will be closely examined in an upcoming webinar hosted by The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE or The Exchange) in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the Nigeria2Equal Program. The webinar with the theme, “Gender Implications of COVID-19: Supporting Women as Employees in the New Normal” is targeted at female professionals and C-Suite Executives, and will hold on Monday, 25 May 2020. Interested participants should register at www.nse.com.ng/webinar.
Speaking to the critical need to amplify these issues today, the Head, Shared Services Division, NSE, Bola Adeeko said, “In the present home-based work, female employees are likely to experience a significant burden on their time given the multiple care responsibilities for family members while striving to meet job targets. In recognition of the threat that this poses to the treatment of women in the workplace, we have partnered with the IFC to emphasize the need for deliberate action and proffer actionable solutions to Nigerian corporates on how we can protect and support female employees even as we navigate this new terrain.”
Mr. Adeeko will serve as co-host of the event alongside Country Manager, IFC Nigeria, Eme Lore Essien. The event will also feature thought leaders across business, academic and the civil society spaces including: Head, Trading Business Division, NSE, Jude Chiemeka; Director, Sustainable Business Initiative, University of Edingburgh, Professor Kenneth Amaeshi; Founder, Women at Risk International Foundation, WARIF, Anita Kemi DaSilva; Country Head, Human Capital, Stanbic IBTC, Funke Amobi; and Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action, Bekeme Masade-Olowola.
It would be recalled that the NSE announced its strategic partnership with IFC on the Nigeria2Equal Initiative at its 2020 International Women’s Day symposium earlier this year. The three-year project will see the NSE and IFC collaborate to reduce employment and entrepreneurship gaps in Nigeria through the private sector. The program will support the private sector to increase women’s participation as leaders, employees, customers and entrepreneurs through favourable workforce policies and practices. These efforts will also give rise to products and services that target the women’s market segment, and deliberate measures that promote women’s participation in corporate procurement.
