Women are changemakers, essential in creating a sustainable future for all – Soromidayo George, Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business, Unilever West Africa

L-R: Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business, Unilever, West Africa, Soromidayo George; Associate Editor, BusinessDay, Kemi Ajumobi; and Assistant to Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom, Stephanie Utake, at the BusinessDay Inspiring Women Series II, recently.

The Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business, Unilever West Africa, Mrs Soromidayo George, noted that women are changemakers who play a critical part in creating the envisioned and sustainable future required for all.

L-R: HR Business Partner – Customer Development, Unilever, Ghana/Nigeria, Maureen Ayodeji-Akinpelu; Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business, Unilever, West Africa, Soromidayo George; Quality Manager, Unilever, Ghana/Nigeria, Temilade Abass; and National Finance Director, Unilever, Nigeria, Folake Ogundipe at the BusinessDay Inspiring Women Series II, recently.

George made this known while speaking at the 2022 BusinessDay Inspiring Woman Series II, themed “Leading the Change-My Story, my role, my expectation,” held in Lagos.

She explained that there is ample evidence that a country’s economic prospects are conditioned by how engaged women are in society, how able they are to engage in the boardroom, how women entrepreneurs can thrive, and so much more.

She stated that unlike before, when the conversations around women’s issues revolved around human rights only, today, women’s empowerment is an essential part of the solution to addressing economic challenges.

“All over the world, women are becoming changemakers, helping to create a new narrative. We cannot afford to be left behind because the world’s future belongs to us. Our place in building any economy and rebuilding our nation cannot be underestimated. As women, we recognize that we are an important economic, social, and political force,” she said.

In his remarks, The Category Manager of Homecare, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Oladapo Oshuntoye, noted that the Sunlight brand has chosen to take advantage of the platform to drive home the significance of women empowerment in addressing numerous economic challenges.

According to Oshuntoye, the empowerment of Nigerian women through different requisite skills and start-up tools by the Sunlight brand has contributed significantly to reducing the level of poverty and also helped many women to unleash their potential.

Also speaking, the Brand Manager, Sunlight, Oluwapelumi Kolade, stated that the brand has decided to sponsor the event to make a strong case for the economic powerhouse that women represent. Kolade noted that the company is delighted to support the initiative as it offers a platform to motivate women and challenge them to achieve their dreams.

“Over the last years, through the Sunlight brand, Unilever has embarked on many initiatives to assist women in harnessing and unleashing their potential. As an organization, we remain committed to advancing the cause of women in society. This commitment, we have executed through numerous initiatives, among which is the Shakti Women Empowerment Programme set out to support the entrepreneurial skills of women to enable them to do more for their families and households,” he said.