Henkel Nigeria reiterates commitment to women’s empowerment

International Women’s Day, commemorated on March 8 annually, is a global event that
celebrates women’s achievements and shines the spotlight on issues such as enabling economic and gender equality, as well as promoting female empowerment. Throughout the year, individuals and organizations around the world are taking action to support gender equality.
As part of activities to mark the 2023 edition of the IWD, Henkel Nigeria, makers of the premium detergents, WAW and Nittol, reiterated its commitment to women’s development and empowerment by supporting the maiden edition of “Iya Henry”.
“Iya Henry” is an event adopted to celebrate womanhood and discuss issues affecting women in all spheres of life, including business, health and wellness, finance, relationships, and motherhood.
Speaking at the “Iya Henry” event, Chidera Akwuba, Manager, Transformation and PAG, at Henkel Nigeria, said Henkel Nigeria remains committed to the advancement of the welfare of women and girls in the country. She noted that the company’s advocacy of women’s development aligns with the 2023 IWD theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”
“At Henkel Nigeria, we are passionate about women. We want to see them thrive and achieve great feats. In our dynamic world today, women have more opportunities to excel, and we are, therefore, glad to partner with ‘Iya Henry’, which provides a safe space for women to live up to their full potential,” she said.
In the same vein, Henkel Nigeria has announced plans to launch a women’s empowerment programme which will commence in the third quarter of 2023.
According to Rajat Kapur, Managing Director of Henkel Nigeria, the initiative was born out of the company’s dedication to the advancement of the socio-economic development of women in Nigeria.
‘We are dedicated to helping women and girls reach their full potential, whether at home, in business or the classroom. The initiative will equip participants with the skills they need to excel in their chosen fields,” Kapur explained. The programme will be open to female entrepreneurs, fresh graduates, and experienced professionals, Kapur revealed.
Akwuba noted that one of the cornerstones of Henkel’s global company culture is the incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its operations. She stated that Henkel was one of the first German-stock listed companies to establish a dedicated global diversity team, adding that the company has established a wide DEI network, involving women, who work collaboratively across all departments and regions where it is operational.
Henkel currently has around 39 per cent of women who work across its management positions globally, and the company has made considerable progress in recent years while striving towards increasing the number of women working in its organization, both in Nigeria and at the global level.
According to Akwuba, the company is keen on its commitments to ensure that it is a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization, as it has taken it up as its social responsibility to mirror the gender parity of the global population and provide equal access to opportunities.
“Also, as part of our commitments, we strive to achieve gender parity across all management levels by 2025, with a significant increase in the number of women in the top positions”, she added.