What do you love most about your job?
It is the opportunity to provide coaching and mentoring to members of the group; especially the young ladies, to always think into the cloud and do everything to the best of one’s ability.
What does the International Women’s Day mean to you?
It is an opportunity to reflect, rejoice and recharge ourselves together as one with women all across the globe. Women have not always shared the same rights, and still do not in many respects. It’s a day to celebrate the women who have paved the way towards our progress; at the same time it is a reminder of the inequality that plagues society. We must continue to support our leaders, innovators and risk takers for thinking forward and expanding the possibilities for women around the globe.
What is the biggest issue facing the Nigerian woman?
I think it is the veiled patriarchy. We rarely stop to think about the ways that patriarchy shapes our daily lives as an invisible organising principle. We’re largely unaware of the way the female perspective is quietly omitted in design, business, technology, clothing and even our cities.
How does your firm motivate women in their professions?
AXA Mansard launched her SHEFORSHIELD initiative in 2016. Our objectives include partnership with women to become their preferred insurer. Being the preferred insurer for women goes beyond selling insurance products to women. It is about redefining the way women customers view and react to insurance while being innovative and impactful. Solutions to protect women – health covers for their families and themselves, education cover for their children and wards, protection for their businesses and assets, savings products for the rainy day is essential. We also seek to provide value adding services beyond products to help women whether in building their businesses, or developing their careers or from falling back into poverty.
Why is it important for women to be empowered?
Women are systemic thinkers and consumers. Women control 85 per cent of consumer spending globally. Your average woman makes purchases for herself, her husband or partner, her children and also her elderly parents. Women make 70 per cent of major financial decisions for themselves and their families, everything; from auto to insurance, home and investment, among others.
Who is your biggest influence or icon?
Over the years I have learnt to find roles in different models. Maya Angelou is my hero because she is always positive. She is my role model because of what she overcame and because of what she has accomplished. However, my greatest Icon remains the everyday Nigerian woman; to her again, I quote Maya Angelou, “Stepping onto a brand new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman” to succeed in every aspect of her life.
What change would you like to see in young girls in the next generation?
The new generation of women is increasingly stepping into entrepreneurship and innovation. Yet as they do so, we are seeing a wave of businesses with women-centered innovations at the core - meaning products and services that are designed to reflect women’s pain points and direct needs. For me, it is more about more women taking their destiny into their hands and test erstwhile unchartered territories. I want the next generation to be limitless and fearless, to see the world as an equal playing ground for all and to reach far beyond the star.
What message will you leave for men and women?
To women, it is only when you risk failure that you can discover new things. When you play it safe, you’re not expressing the utmost of your human experience. In life, we are either growing or dying. Life doesn’t have to be complicated. Let’s try and keep life simple.
Women take calculated risks. We need three things in life: something to do, everybody needs someone to love, and something to hope for. Let’s just be right on time and always show people you care. Challenge the status quo always.
