Mr. Olukayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), on Thursday called on stakeholders globally to put an end to gender-based bias in the political space, workplaces, and all spheres of human endeavors.
Pitan made the call at the 2022 edition of the BOI International Women’s Day celebration with the theme: “Break the Bias” in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8.
The BOI MD noted that the 2022 IWD day theme had at its heart, the building of a more inclusive and gender-equal world, aimed at breaking biases.
He said that one of the greatest strengths of humanity is how unique and complex humans are with diverse norms, beliefs, and attitudes ingrained in our psychology and deeply rooted in culture and environment.
Pitan, however, noted that this strength is also the source of bias; a significant element in human decision-making affecting interactions with others consciously or unconsciously.
He cited that the Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) for 2020 survey revealed that about 90 percent of men and women held some sort of bias against women, driven by negative social and cultural norms.
“This bias is a huge part of why women have limited access to education, assets, information, and opportunities for personal and professional development when compared to their male counterparts globally.
“One such bias is that women are weak and not well suited to learn certain skills, further their education, or undertake jobs in their desired fields.
“In spite of evidence to the contrary, these gender stereotypes continue to prevent girls and women from obtaining degrees, particularly in fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), which have long been recognized as jobs for the future.
“Though there has been some progress in women’s education, only 35 percent of women worldwide have STEM degrees based on a report by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
“This has resulted in a disproportionate representation of women in the labor force of these sectors.
“This shows that more work needs to be done to encourage women to go for these degrees, and transition into the workforce,” he said.
Pitan said that the BOI is constantly working to close the gaps created by bias by its commitment to providing equal opportunities to employees.
He noted that the bank had partnered with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to implement the Business Resilience Assistance for Value-adding Enterprise (BRAVE) Women Nigeria project.
He added that the BOI had invested US$10 million in the Alitheia Fund, also towards supporting Nigerian women-led businesses, some of which will be export-oriented.
“In addition, the Nigerian Content Intervention (NCI) Fund, a partnership between the BOI and Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has allocated US$20 million as an intervention fund to women businesses in the oil and gas sector.
“We strive for increased representation of women in senior positions to ensure that they make the valuable contributions we know them to have.
“BOI plays an important role in advocating for women-owned businesses by focusing on impact, as we recognize the economic opportunities these businesses present, and their contribution to national development.
“I encourage you to join us in the movement to break the bias and work towards a more inclusive world where differences and individuality are valued and celebrated,” the BOI boss said.
