In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), with the theme; ‘Break the Bias’, Lonadek Global Services, through its Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk, embarked on helping young women navigate their dreams in a male-dominated industry.
Lonadek, in partnership with the African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP), APWEN, Oracle and WIMBIZ, WeConnect, among others, walked round the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) campus to sensitise students and recruit them for the mentoring programme.
Principal consultant, Lonadek Global Service, Dr. Ibilola Amao said the young women would be connected with captains of industry, which can help them land their first jobs.
“The whole idea is to get each girl to have a mentor who is a captain of industry or leader who can help them get their first job. We mentor them on different fields of life, ranging from engineering, education, business, entrepreneurship, human resources, writing and lot more.”
Amao said one of the major problems young girls trying to get into male-dominated industries face is compromise. By paring them with older women, she said they could escape compromising situations.
“The aim is to pair young girls with older women who have gone through the bias in their careers, professional lives, business lives and can help them navigate the process of becoming leaders themselves and giving them support they need to be able to break into male dominated sector,” she said.
Mrs. Monsurah Alagbe, a civil/’structural engineer, said the IWD theme connotes breaking out from whatever limit the society has placed one, because, “once someone can dream it, he can have it”.
Mrs. Bekere Amassoma, one of the mentors said that the programme was result-oriented as it enables women become economically and socially unique.
“With the knowledge we have been able to share with them, from our own experiences, I am sure that these girls will be adequately equipped to live better economic life. We talk to them about things, like, work life balance.
“We talked about peer pressure, some issues they’re facing and we are able to proffer solution to some of their challenges. I strongly believe that with the knowledge that we, the mentors have shared with these ladies, I am sure they will be able to do better in life.”