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L-R: Manufacturing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Abayomi Alli: CEO, Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe; Film Producer, Ronya Man; Head, Psychology Department, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Oluwagbemileke Olive; Head, General Service Division, Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Bridget Taremotimi; General Counsel, Unilever West Africa, Bidemi Ademola; and Procurement Director, Unilever West Africa, Obinna Emenyonu; at the Chatroom movie premiere by Unilever Nigeria in partnership with Sterling One Foundation in Lagos.
As part of its commitment to advance a better society, Unilever Nigeria Plc has reiterated its support for women’s inclusion and empowerment as the world celebrated International Women’s Day. In a statement issued by the company, Unilever is using the opportunity to take the conversation beyond equality into equity with the #EmbraceEquity #EquityIs campaign.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Unilever Nigeria Plc, Carl Cruz stated that equity is required to achieve a fairer and more inclusive world.
“Equity refers to ousting of systemic barriers that constrain full participation while providing equal access to opportunities for all. We need equity to achieve a fairer and more inclusive world that is receptive to all. Equity is the means to achieve fairness because it acknowledges that an individual may need to experience or receive something different (not equal) to achieve fairness” Carl explained.
He added that “equity recognizes that we do not all start from the same place and face different barriers. To this end, it may require the use of interventions and measures to compensate for systemic bias or barriers to individuals reaching their full potential”.
In commemorating the International Women’s Day celebration 2023, Unilever treated members of staff to the newly produced Olapeju Ibekwe movie “CHATROOM” which showed simultaneously at their headquarters in Lagos and factory in Agbara. The movie brought to light the shocking reality of domestic violence and the dysfunction it causes in the lives of many, both mentally and sexually, which is a big challenge for millions of women and young children across the world.
During a panel session, Mrs. Ibekwe, the Executive Producer of the movie spoke about the inspiration behind the movie stating that research shows one out of every three females has suffered from domestic violence, and educating and motivating women to speak up and seek help at this time is very imperative.
“Being a female should never be a disadvantage. Women must stand up at this time to speak up and seek help, education, and empowerment of young females, and this should become priority in order to prevent the damage domestic violence is constantly causing to the society”. She added.
It would be recalled that in making its workplace equitable, Unilever Nigeria grew its gender representation at the management level by 43% which is an improvement of 200% at the end of 2022. The Company’s gender inclusion initiatives are spearheaded by the HR Team with the support of the Super Moms Group and the CD Women’s Inspiration Network. These groups raise awareness of the need for an inclusive workplace and have led the right conversations to accelerate this agenda.
The agenda includes the Company’s Maternity and Paternity Support (MAPS) framework to encourage people to work in a way that enables them to maintain a healthy balance at home in line with the hybrid working policy. Within this framework, new mothers have up to 6 months’ leave while new fathers have 3 weeks leave to support their wives and the newborn. Within its office complex, there are inclusive facilities such as lactation rooms, designated parking spots and a day-care facility on some sites to ensure that parenthood is not overloaded by work.
“These initiatives speak to how we are making deliberate efforts to drive and #EmbraceEquity in making the organisation a place of diversity and inclusion that enables everyone to thrive and be at their best on and off the job. As we celebrate these important milestones, we acknowledge that the journey doesn’t end here. We believe that through continued focus on removing systemic barriers, we will achieve a greater level of Equity for everyone” Carl explained.International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.
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