Absa Bank’s headquarters, on the main Accra High Street, was the scene of an interesting spectacle on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023. A set of students from St. Mary’s Senior High School in Accra had gathered to engage in a session with the women leadership of the bank on how digital technology can propel their academic and professional careers.
It was a special session organised by the bank in connection with the school’s authorities as part of activities to mark International Women’s Day, which was on the theme ‘DigitAll – Innovation and Technology for Equality’. The excited students also had a chance to ‘job shadow’ with the bank’s Technology and Enablement Team for close to four hours. They were taken through business operations, decision-making and how the technology team supports the overall functioning and efficiency of the bank.
Like most progressive global banks, Absa is a strong promoter of diversity and inclusion, and is championing the relevance of female leadership sustainably. With a close to equal ratio of men and women at the senior leadership level of the bank, Absa is leading by example.
Commenting after the session, Nana Essilfuah Tamakloe, Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations at Absa Bank, said: “Digital innovation is a crucial driver in giving women more access to equal opportunities and success, and I am proud to say that Absa is leading the charge in this area. I am happy that we can afford the students from St. Mary’s a chance to experience what it’s like to make an impact in an organisation like ours. Such engagements give us hope for the future in terms of women leadership”.
Absa Bank has a strong focus on female leadership and inclusion as part of its citizenship agenda. This includes delivering consumer education and financial literacy programmes through accredited training partners to empower women to make informed choices and improve their lives through responsible personal financial management.
President of the Women Network Forum at Absa Bank, Audrey Abakah, said: “As women, we have unique perspectives and ideas that are just waiting to be heard. And it’s up to us to use the power of our voices to speak up and make ourselves heard. It’s up to us to drive innovation in our workplaces and our communities, and this is one of many examples”.
