In its effort to promote gender equality and thought-provoking conversations to bring about an equal future for all, leading consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble Nigeria in partnership with UN Women hosted its flagship Gender Equality summit. Hosted virtually for the first time, the event saw distinguished advocates and personalities from government, industry, civil society, and the media come together to address the challenges of gender and women’s equality, which have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
Built on the theme ‘#Unsaid and #Undone’, speakers and panelists discussed some of the stereotypical expectations from both genders, re-occurring gender challenges and provided practical insights on how to address some of the challenges presented by gender inequality, amplify the narrative, and further the cause of gender equality across sectors, industries, and cultures in Nigeria.
Speaking at the summit, the Managing Director of Procter & Gamble Nigeria, Mr. Adil Farhat announced P&G Nigeria 2021 gender equality declarations which included the introduction of ‘Share the Care’ policy which grants parental leave of 8 weeks for all new biological or adoptive parents and a 6-month maternity leave for birth mothers.
Mr. Farhat also noted that P&G will educate more than 50,000 adolescent girls on puberty and menstrual hygiene over the next three years in Nigeria through our Always Keeping Girls in School (AKGIS) program which will also provide a year supply of sanitary pads so that they can commit to their education and their future. P&G will also double its target spend on women owned businesses over the next 3years and its mini MBA will reach over 50 women business owners over the same period. The firm will also maintain a 50-50 gender balance across our management workforce in Nigeria.
Adil Farhat reiterated the company’s commitment to driving gender equality in Nigeria and how P&G has been at the forefront of gender inclusion. “At P&G, gender equality remains one of our sustainability foci. Beyond this, we have ensured that we practice and enforce this principle in our workplace. As a company in Nigeria, we have ensured 50% female representation at managerial levels and over 98 percent of our employees are local talent”, Adil revealed.
Also speaking at the summit, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Comfort Laptey noted that IWD presents a unique opportunity for women to take stock of their demands for equality, development and peace while reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the girl child. She said, “as estimated, the 18 million female learners across primary, secondary and tertiary education have been affected by the school closure. This is deeply concerning for the future of girls education in communities where their enrolment was already low”.
The key speakers and panelists at the summit included the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, Her Excellency, Dr. Zainab Bagudu, the First Lady of Kebbi State, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, Mrs. Kofo Akinkugbe, Mr. Tonye Cole, Mrs. Olatowun Candide-Johnson, Mr. Kole Shettima, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, and Mrs. Hafsat Abiola.
The We See Equal Summit demonstrates P&G’s continued commitment to create a more equal world. P&G is advancing gender equality through various initiatives region-wide as part of its ongoing commitment to equality and inclusion and is part of the Company’s efforts to deliver ‘2,021 Acts of Good in 2021. As one of the world’s largest advertisers, P&G and its brands will also continue to leverage their influential voice in media and advertising to drive further awareness, tackle gender bias, spark conversations and motivate change.
