Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer, Telecel Ghana, has asked parents to allow their girl children to pursue courses and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which are currently shaping the world. She said women in STEM or those who wanted to take up such programmes must be encouraged as there were many opportunities in the sector. Mrs Obo-Nai was speaking at the Pascal Gally's 'Choc Des Legendes' event held in Accra to celebrate 'women leadership, commitment and legacy to humanity'. Hosted for the first time in Africa, the celebration captioned: 'Praise of Women', brought together female participants from diverse backgrounds, including the First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Mrs Obo-Nai, in her address, emphasised equal opportunities for women and men in STEM education and on the job market. 'There would be more digital jobs than qualified people so if we are still spending time training just the men, then we are letting our women down because there will be few women w ho have the opportunity to take up jobs. 'There will be more jobs in the digital world so [parents] please allow your ladies to pursue what the future holds which is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,' she stressed. The Chief Executive Officer again encouraged employers across industries to give female employees the chance to take up projects, which would 'build their confidence'. She said women must be considered for senior managerial roles. Conversations at the forum highlighted the essence of women being the best version of themselves as they continue to contribute positively to national development. Although men continue to exert their authority in key decision making processes, Ghana's Ambassador to France, Ms Anna Bossman was of the view that 'women can have it all if they believe in themselves'. She, however, observed that the 'failure' of women to support one another tended to 'hurt' the cause of women empowerment in all spheres of life. 'If men are not supporting women, I unders tand…but if women are not supporting women and lifting them up, I accuse them…Women are letting themselves down by not believing in their magnificence or believing in the power they hold. '…It is women who bring up children and therein lies your power…My anger comes from the disappointment that women fail to see that they hold humanity in their hands,' she stated. Ms Bossman, therefore, urged women across sectors to support one another and speak against socio-cultural practices which affected the progress of women and the girl child. Mr Evangelos Kyriakedis, Executive Director, Heritage Management Organisation, also called for more support for African women as the population of women on the continent continued to grow rapidly. Source: Ghana News Agency
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