International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day for appreciating women across the globe for the significant roles they are playing. This year’s theme “BreakTheBias” can also mean having a workplace where people feel inspired, equipped, and supported, an environment that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. Free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
The Director, Prof Dorothy Yeboah-Manu together with the all-female staff of the Institute commemorated International Women’s Day on Friday 11th March 2022 by sharing knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned among the women in the institute who are in their diverse careers to inspire each other in mentoring sessions, with the objective of doing more in all endeavors. Speaking at the Institute’s maiden Women’s Day celebration, Prof. Yeboah-Manu indicated that creating a world free of gender bias requires collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity and that “is what makes International Women’s Day impactful”. She also intimated that “Women at the Institute form 50-60% of the staff strength. For this reason, it is important to celebrate all for contributing significantly to the advancement and development of the prestigious Institute. She added that as the world moves towards achieving gender equality, it becomes imperative to provide a common platform where all women, irrespective of their social status can equally contribute their quota to national development. She then encouraged all women to be versatile in all areas of life for opportunities.
The ceremony continued with presentations from Dr. Anita Ghansah (Senior Research Fellow, NMIMR) and Mrs. Gifty Wemakor (Principal Administrative Assistant, NMIMR), and mentoring sessions. A talk was then delivered by Dr. Asuquo Udofia (Counseling Psychologist).
Dr. Anita Ghansah indicated that “one’s environment makes a difference in career advancements and opportunities. She added that women should remain focused and be persistent at all times” Mrs. Gifty Wemakor, encouraged all women to be committed, diligent in their work, and strive to advance in their chosen careers.
During the mentoring session, strategies on how to be successful in one’s chosen career were discussed. Mentors also shared ideas/tips for balancing work and family life with mentees. The brainstorming session on gender issues gave rise to recommendations for policies on sexual harassment, child/mother friendly work settings, and more mentorship programs.
Climaxing the event, Dr. Asuquo Udofia’s talk on stress and emotion management provided information on dealing with stress through exercising, having social connections, and prioritizing tasks, among others. He recommended the need to have analytical, investigative, and sometimes friendly communications at work. He added that autocratic communications must be avoided at all times in the work environment.
