By Etop Ekanem

In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, leading consumer packaged goods company and member of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC), Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd. has partnered Charitable Network for Community Empowerment (CHANCE) Foundation, to reaffirm its commitment to women empowerment in Nigeria.

The community intervention celebration comprised a conference at the University of Lagos, which empowered over 600 women and students with important skills and knowledge for thriving in their businesses, careers and life. There was also an outreach programme where over 100 women traders and street sweepers were provided food items.

Other highlights from the event included free health screening for breast and cervical examination, blood pressure and blood sugar level checks, eye screening and free glasses, free hygiene packs for the participants.

In line with this year’s theme, Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow, under the campaign tag #BreakTheBias, the conference brought together leading voices from the private sector to share their perspectives and insights on thriving at both professional and personal endeavours.

Topics covered in the event ranged from saving, investing and budgeting, to breast and cervical cancer awareness, gender balance and a panel discussion, which explored overall strategies for driving growth for women socially and economically.

Speaking during theconference, Country Legal Director, NBC, Abiodun Peters, exposed the participants to actionable tactics on how women can overcome the limits of stereotypes to attain their full potential.

She said: “Imagining a gender equal world takes collective, sustained actions, which will result in a society free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination; an equitable world.

“At NBC, we recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion at all levels of society. This is why we embark on initiatives like this to raise the bar of gender equality and support the overall empowerment of women. We hope that this will increase awareness around the significance of breaking gender biases.”

Commenting on the initiative, Founder of CHANCE, Olajumoke Saliu, said: “Gender inequality continues to plague our society. At CHANCE, we remain committed to social impact in Nigeria, and we are truly grateful for collaborations like this as they provide an avenue for women to come together to celebrate each other and discuss the challenges women face as well as ways to navigate these problems. With support from companies like the Nigerian Bottling Company, we are confident that we are able to make significant impact across our community.”

The Nigerian Bottling Company has been at the forefront of impactful initiatives to enrich the lives of women in Nigeria.For instance, from 2015 to 2019 alone, the 5by20 programme of the Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, provided over 38,000 women with opportunities to own, manage and grow their businesses.