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United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, on Thursday, hosted an edition of its quarterly Business Series, which brought together women leaders and entrepreneurs to discuss the theme “Gen.W: The Evolved Woman.”
The hybrid session, held at UBA House in Lagos and also broadcast live to participants around the world, was part of activities to mark International Women’s Month and focused on the changing role of women in leadership, business and innovation, highlighting how African women are redefining success while creating sustainable impact in various areas of their operations.
UBA Group Head, Customer Experience, Michelle Nwoga, who gave the opening remarks at the event, explained that women who evolve are women who take charge, volunteer and make their voices heard amidst the noise.
This event was moderated by popular media figure and actor, Tobi Bakre; who said, “When I think about women evolving, I personally don’t see a checklist or an endpoint. In my own opinion, a woman is a woman who stands on her self-worth and makes room for other women to stand on their self-worth, choosing herself every day and ultimately letting other women around her know and believe that they deserve to be here too.”
The event featured a panel conversation with ORÍKÌ Group founder, Joycee Awosika; media personality and digital entrepreneur Tomike Adeoye; Fine-Funky founder Olufunke Davies and broadcaster Ayo Mario-Ese share their experiences of their struggles and eventual evolution as female business owners.
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From her perspective, Joycee Awosika, an energy economist who focuses on promoting African heritage, says that women who evolve are women who have a sense of who they are. “The woman didn’t need to ask to sit at the table, she created her own table and added value. As your company grows, you must also grow, and always carry out audits where you need to become a better leader,” he said.
For Tomike Adeoye, the question of what a woman can bring is no longer relevant, because evolved women can now carry their own table. “He is now more vocal about their struggles, setting standards and he is not ready to give up on his dreams,” he added.
Ayo Mario-Ese expressed concern about women who are typically relaxed about speaking up and sharing their achievements, and said that women need to own their own stories: “Many women do phenomenal work and are sometimes afraid to show what they do. As an evolving woman, you have to find out what you are comfortable doing, and create your own unique offering, and also be open to collaboration.”
“Creating unique designs at affordable prices remains my driving force and something that has helped me grow as an evolving woman,” says Olufunke Davies, who admits to having ventured into many businesses before finding her niche. “It’s important to do research, streamline and think about connectivity. But the important thing I would say is start where you are because this is progress.”
Group Head, Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, who praised the panelists and participants who took the time to take part in the event, said, “Raising every woman is actually not that difficult; because, everyone has their own community and story; and as women, we need to take a position so we can give to others.”
Ladipo took time to talk about the Gen W platform, created by the bank, explaining that it is a lifestyle platform dedicated to evolving women, and added, “Through expert insights, real stories and practical resources, the platform connects women who are building brands, creating businesses, growing careers and leading various industries. They also have access to a huge range of products and discounted loans. The best part: the platform is open to every woman. No UBA account required. This is Gen W, for evolving women,” she said.
