Dignitaries and participants in a group photograph
VIVO ENERGY Ghana hosted the maiden edition of the ShePower Summit 2025 engaging young women on the need to excel in their academic and professional journeys, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Under the theme, Fueling Change: Redefining Possibilities for Women in STEM, the summit promoted female empowerment and inclusivity in traditionally male-dominated industries including the oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the summit, Vivo Energy Group Chief HR Officer, Reinette Wessel, said globally, only 23% of females are represented in the STEM workforce.
“We aim to increase this number by attracting more females into technology, engineering, supply distribution, finance, and other related fields, where we currently see a shortage of female talent.
Our ambition at Vivo Energy is to achieve 40% female representation across our group in Africa by the end of 2026. Currently, we stand at 34.5%. Additionally, we strive to reach 45% female representation at professional and skill levels by 2026. We are making progress, with our current figure standing at 43%,” she said.
Reinette Wessel further added that the focus of ShePower is on nurturing talent across Ghana, leveraging both internal and external events to further grow its talent pool, particularly in STEM.
“While our primary emphasis is on STEM, we also recognise the importance of other functions and arts, including human resources, communication, and more,” she added.
Guest Speaker, Dr. Mrs. Ellen Hagan, Founder and CEO of L’aine Services Limited, emphasised the urgent need to rethink women’s participation in STEM fields and male-dominated industries.
“She urged women not to settle for mediocrity.”We often say, Let the men take the higher paychecks and the glory. As long as I get a piece of the pie, that’s enough for me. But I say, it’s time for us to demand more. We deserve equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal recognition.”
UNICEF Ghana Education Officer, Rhoda Enchil, on her part said while Ghana has made progress in closing gender gaps in education, disparities persist, particularly in certain areas.
In addressing these disparities, she indicated that it is crucial to ensure that Ghanaian girls and women have equal opportunities to pursue careers in STEM fields and contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke