Telecel Ghana has hosted its inaugural Women 100 Power Connect, a gathering of accomplished and influential women across the country, to climax its Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Month celebration.
The telecommunications giant organised the exclusive evening event to serve as a platform for igniting insights, inspiration, connection and collaboration among the women present from various backgrounds – business executives, entrepreneurs, media practitioners, artists, activists, and influencers.
Held under the theme ‘Imperfect Courage’ in Accra, the interactive event featured resilient and inspiring life stories from speakers, engaging poetry and comedy performances, and ample opportunities for networking.
Opening the event, Chief Executive of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai shared her challenges in the first year as the first Ghanaian woman to lead Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited (GTCL) and the strategies she embraced to help the telco stay afloat despite opposition from skeptics.
“I decided to be bold, brave and resolute, irrespective of naysayers. The worst you can do is to self-doubt. It’s in difficult moments that you must summon the imperfect courage by believing in yourself and having confidence in your abilities, even when you feel you are not ready. You just have to keep going,” Ing. Obo-Nai said.
The second deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, who was the special guest of honour, shared her story of the difficult transition from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to serve as a deputy governor of BoG because she believed that the call of national duty was stronger.
As the second female central bank governor in Ghana’s history, she said the experience gained over two decades in international finance was of immense help to Ghana’s fiscal stability. “Despite the banking sector crisis and pandemic, I had to work through it to restore confidence and ensure our banks were liquid and well-financed,” Mrs. Awadzi said.
“I let courage lead even in circumstances that look imperfect. More women must take up public positions because too many generational decisions are being taken that does not have women at the table.”
Two additional business leaders who shared their stories on imperfect courage were Valerie Larbi, a sustainable transport entrepreneur who is co-founder and CEO of Wahu Mobilty and Mrs. Esther Aidoo Dwamena, CEO of Witties Ghana, a sanitation and hygiene business.
In closing the Women 100 Power Connect, Director of Enterprise Business and Wholesale at Telecel Ghana, Tawa Bolarin reminded the audience of the Telecel Women in Business initiative – a comprehensive suite of tailored resources that address the unique needs of women-led SMEs including free website development, access to grants and loans, health and life insurance package and e-commerce support among others.