After six exhilarating months of championing the progressive cause of feminism across various regions, the 2022 edition of the Guinness Ghana Obaasima Summit has ended with a grand finale held at the National Theatre to climax it.
This year’s edition of the summit which was themed PROGRESSIVE PORTRAYAL; BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ELEVATION commenced in January with the Greater Accra regional tour at the Raphael Sylvanus Amegashie Auditorium on the campus of the University of Ghana, Legon.
The Regional Tour was then extended to the Central Region where the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah auditorium played host to several speakers who lectured attendees on synergism and teamwork, networking, excellent oratory and public speaking as well as acing interviews in a bid to instill assertiveness in women.
Further, the All Nations University in Koforidua played host to the Eastern Regional tour of the summit whereas the Simon Diedong Dombo University of University of Integrated and Development Studies, Tamale gave the Northern belt of the country its chance to witness the summit.
After the regional campus tours, the conversation on the progressive portrayal of feminism was taken to some markets around the capital where a series of market activations were held at the Dome Market and the Madina Bohye market where officials from corporate institutions such as Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC, Universal Merchant Bank, Akosombo Textiles Limited and Frytol Oil took turns to address women in these markets.
At these markets, traders were enlightened on the need to be brave in their endeavors in a bid to break the old-aged yoke that has sought to make women second fiddle to men.
After these rigorous rounds of events that marked this year’s edition of the Obaasima Summit across the length and breadth of the country, organizers, speakers and attendees of the summit converged at the National Theatre where it was climaxed.
Speakers at the event included the Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited Plc Helene Wessie, Co-Founder of Passion Air Eddie Annan, Chief Executive Officer of Universal Merchant Bank Nana Kwadwo Dwemoh Benneh and the Kenyan Deputy Minister of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Nadia Ahmed Abdala.
Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited Plc Helene Wessie touched on the need to champion diversity in all spheres of life. She premised her address on the rarity of having women in key leadership areas in the hierarchy of top organizations. She however maintained that Guinness Ghana Plc has women among the summit of the company, a skill that affirms the need for diversity.
According to her, the progressive portrayal of feminism along with propelling women to be among the key decision makers can only be done when diversity is championed.
For the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Merchant Bank Nana Kwadwo Dwemoh Benneh, young women must target the feasibility of longevity in any decision they take. Per his submission, young people who want to take up leadership positions must be mindful of the decisions they take and its long term effects. He further charged them to pursue building a legacy instead of chalking short term successes which are ephemeral and do not stand the test of time and growth.
In her address to the various attendees at the event, the Kenyan Deputy Minister of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Nadia Ahmed Abdala charged women to take charge of their lives, identify who they are and be the drivers of their destiny.
She further opined that, when women focus on long term goals and eschew the taste for ephemeral things that do not accrue benefits over time, they can facilitate success which will in turn make them self-dependent. This she believes helps in curbing the age-old belief that women are second to men whenever leadership and self-dependence is concerned.
Also, Co-Founder of Passion Air Edward Annan called on women to step out of the boundaries that society has sought to restrict them to and look for opportunities that can smoothen them to success while further charging them to be confident wherever they find themselves.
The summit promises to be bigger and better in its next edition as its spectrum will be extended to other spheres of society in championing the cause of feminism and breaking the age-old yoke that have been placed on the gender.
ABOUT GUINNESS GHANA OBAASIMA SUMMIT
The initiative, organized by the Obaasima Summit Foundation and Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC, is designed to equip female students with the requisite skillset to pursue their dreams in any preferred aspect of life.