MONROVIA- Easy Solar Liberia Limited a solar company with high-quality energy products, over the weekend hosted its third Women’s Day program in commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD).
By Francis G. Boayue
International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 each year as a day set aside to celebrate and uphold women’s achievements and focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality.
The campaign theme for this year is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ and calls for an effort to create a space that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
The Country Manager for Easy Solar Liberia and Group Head of People & Culture for both Liberia & Sierra Leone, Madam Zorah E B Anthony, serving as the keynote speaker of the occasion, said the Global theme ‘Inspire Inclusion’ for the celebration of IWD underscores the crucial role of inclusion in achieving gender equality, adding that action is needed to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes and create environments where all women are valued and respected.
According to Madam Anthony, the theme “Inspire Inclusion” encourages everyone to recognize the unique perspectives and contributions of women from all walks of life, including those from marginalized communities.
“Being female is not a choice, so I guess we are all advocates by default. I stand before you today not just to convey the urgency of the situation, but to inspire collective action.
“Our world is facing a gender crisis, and each one of us must become stewards of change. So it is proven that women make up more than half of the global population, and research has demonstrated that gender diverse teams perform better. From entry to board level, issues of profitability, resilience, engagement, etc are up when women are represented at all levels.
“As we strive to build a more equitable workforce, we must embrace policies that facilitate women’s entry and progression, such as flexible work schedules, equitable pay, and support for women in leadership roles.
“All of the above mentioned is as a result of a change in policy at the group level, introducing gender practices through our employment and HR manuals, also introducing Gender Champions companywide and the intentional diversity recruitment practices.
“Over the past two years, as a result, Easy Solar has made significant progress in Liberia particular, which has a ratio of 33% female to 67% male representation. At the senior management level, we are at 50/50. As a company, we are a “work in progress” and I would love to see the gender disparity rectified at the lower levels. We must create environments where diverse voices are valued and leveraged for the rich perspective they bring.
“As a people, we bear the responsibility to raise awareness, inspire change, and advocate for sustainable gender practices. We have many pioneers who have influenced change globally.
Liberia has a rich history of community, and it is this spirit that we must channel to create a sustainable future through educating our communities, supporting female businesses, and implementing policies that prioritize the protection of and equitable practices for women in our patriarchal society,” Easy Solar Liberia Country manager said.
Madam Anthony further used the occasion to recognize the roles of eminent Liberian women like Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the First Female elected President of Liberia, and others for exemplary roles played.
“There are strong Liberian trendsetters and women leaders who served as role models, such as Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected Head of State in Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner (2011), Madam Leymah Gbowee – Leader of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, Author of Mighty Be Her Powers, Nobel Peace Prize (2011), and Chief Suacoco- first female paramount chief, who played a key role in annexing Bong, Lofa and Nimba counties to Liberia in the late 1800s,” she added.