GRIDCo Ladies Association, a female staff association of Ghana’s power transmission company, GRIDCo, have marked the 2023 International Women’s Day in Tema.
Speakers at the event called on them to build their capacity in the area of technology to remain employable.
International Women’s Day is an annual event and it is celebrated across the world.
The United Nations (UN) theme for this year’s IWD is ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.
In a speech read by Ing Mark Baah, Director for Southern Sector, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Ing Ebenezer Kofi Essienyi, he acknowledged the contribution of the female workforce towards the growth of the company.
He noted that in 2008, the company’s female workforce was about three per cent but the figure has increased to about 19 per cent in 2023.
He said the female staff are working in both technical and non-technical departments of the company.
According to the CEO, the company is committed to increasing the number of women in the company and called on women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses to give them the advantage of being recruited.
The President of GRIDCo Ladies Association (GRIDLASS), Mrs. Azara Amadu said although technology and innovation have historically been less accessible and less friendly towards women, they cannot ignore the reality of the world today.
“Technology and innovation are at the forefront of progress, and we must embrace it to achieve the development and equality we seek,” she advised.
“As women, we must take conscious steps to integrate innovation and technology into our lives and work. We can draw inspiration from the words of Michelle Obama, a former First Lady of America who believes that “there is no limit to what we women can accomplish” We are taking our first step towards change today, by embracing digital innovation and technology.”
The National President of EGC’s Power Queens Club Queen, Doreen Gyebi said current trends indicate that the world is speedily moving towards digitalisation in all aspects of human life.
She said women must be aware of this new global direction, embrace it, fully acquaint themselves with it and utilise it effectively and efficiently for growth and advancement.
“This way, the woman can be impactful and relevant in a gender-competitive environment and society,” she stressed.
Ing Nana Yaa Obenewa Okudzeto, who was the keynote speaker, reminded GRIDCo ladies that technology is now driving work and encouraged them to take advantage and build their capacity in order not to be left behind.
She challenged them to continue to build on their professional career to compete for equal opportunities stating that “reluctant to innovate makes you stagnate.”
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com