The Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana Ltd., Salomé Azevedo, has challenged women to move beyond equality talks and calls for fairness and to actively push for systemic change.
She stressed that while progress has been made in areas such as education, financial inclusion and workforce participation, significant gender gaps remained, particularly in pay structures, leadership representation, and decision-making roles.
According to her, women must not be complacent with incremental gains but should demand more transformative change.
She was speaking at the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) event organised by the Human Resource Unit of the company in Accra on Tuesday.
The colourful event brought together staff from various branches and departments of Nestlé Ghana for a fun-filled day.
Activities included panel discussions, a cooking competition, dance contests, and the presentation of gifts to participants.
Ecosystem
Ms Azevedo emphasised that society operated within an ecosystem that must be intentionally challenged and reshaped.
“It is also important that we understand the context and the challenge that we have, that we should not make it small. If it is there, it exists,” she said.
She urged women to go beyond celebrating empowerment rhetorically and instead focus on concrete actions that disrupt existing barriers.
This, she said, included questioning biases, supporting others and being deliberate about driving change both within organisations and in broader communities.
“But let me also tell you from my perspective, honestly, we don’t need the noise. What we do need is the action and that’s why we are also here today, because we need to talk about those actions that we can do collectively and individually.”
Intentional action
Panellists at the event emphasised the importance of communication, support systems and intentional action in advancing women’s empowerment.
The speakers highlighted that women must clearly communicate their needs in the workplace to receive the necessary support, stressing that achieving targets and delivering results remained essential despite personal and professional challenges.
They noted that men could be effective allies, but only when there was open and honest dialogue.
The discussion also focused on creating supportive work environments through peer networks, mental health awareness, and simple acts of empathy.
Panellists urged organisations to go beyond gender statistics and consider the real-life experiences of women, including challenges such as pregnancy loss, stress, and burnout.
Education was identified as key to addressing myths and misconceptions, particularly around health issues like childbirth and diseases, while sharing real-life experiences was seen as a powerful tool to build understanding and confidence.
They encouraged women to prioritise their physical and mental well-being while working collectively to create a more equitable and supportive environment.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh