Nairobi Hosts Third Women in Africa Forum
The third edition of the Women in Africa Forum (WIA Forum) was recently hosted by the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi. Themed: ‘Strengthening Gains Paying it Forward’, the November 28th to 29th event witnessed a power packed lineup of speakers inspiring women to scale greater heights of empowerment. Guest orators were drawn from the corporate world, the academia, the media, and community activism.
You have one greater thing above men, which is giving birth,” said Mrs. Patricia Ithau, MD L’Oreal East Africa Ltd. “It is an honorable responsibility. Therefore get ahead and do better than the men,” she advised women. According to Caroline Mutoko, Program Controller and Group Head Marketing for Radio Africa, women need to be excellent communicators and not to take things personally. “Get over yourself!” she urged them.
Since its launch in Nairobi in 2012, the WIA Forum has focused on how women can consolidate the gains in their careers, and pave the way for greater empowerment. Among other panelists in this event were: Sarah Mercer - Founder and CEO of the WIA Forum and Vice-President of African Recovery, Prof. E. Dashanaba King PhD, - Business Person of The Year, Teacher of The Year, “Women Business Owner of The Year in the Non-Traditional Enterprise”, Debra Mallowah - Unilever’s Vice-President for Brand development-Africa, Waceke Nduati-Omanga - CEO, founder, and director of Centonomy, and Ella Peinovich - MIT graduate and recipient of the TIAW ‘World of Difference’ Award in 2013.
The Forum challenged and tried to change the often misconstrued perspective that business is just for men. It emphasized the time for women to invest is now.The next WIA Forum will be held in March 2014, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
For more information, visit www.wiaforum.com.
By Rhoda Okono
