The State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day.

The International Women’s Day offered SIGA the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to gender equity in keeping with the global International Women’s Day theme for 2023 “Embrace Equity”.

Ambassador Edward Boateng, Director-General of SIGA, commended female staff of the Authority for their tremendous support in achieving its goals and encouraged women to work hard, stay relevant and discharge their duties effectively.

“SIGA is privileged to have about 52% of its leadership made of women. Women count and have made significant contributions to SIGA and Ghana’s development. We appreciate all your hard work. I hereby encourage you not to believe that doors should open for you simply because you are a woman; instead, prove yourself, have big dreams and push yourself to succeed.”  Director-General said.

A focal point of the program was “Time with the resource persons”, where staff interacted and learned about the lives and experiences of women in top management at SIGA.

Mad. Alexandra Totoe, General Manager for Finance and Administration, encouraged women to push themselves and establish themselves as experts in their fields. Rising through the organizational structure to the top in a male-dominated occupation, she stated, can be extremely challenging and requires a high level of commitment and hard work. She encouraged women to maintain a social life while working hard.

Mad. Helen Addo, Board Secretary, encouraged women to take charge of their jobs, work diligently, and strive to be the best at whatever task they are assigned. She continued by pointing out that they would face difficulties, but perseverance would allow them to reap the benefits of their efforts. She concluded by encouraging women to seek assistance when needed, particularly when it comes to raising children, in order to maintain a healthy balance.

The immediate past head of the Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Mad. Olivia Opoku-Adomah, shared her “3 Ps” with staff: passion, perseverance, and prayer. She revealed that following them had been extremely beneficial in achieving her objectives. She emphasized the importance of employees always giving their best effort in order to be successful in life. She concluded by thanking everyone for their help in carrying out her duties and wished the Authority success.

Mad. Hollistar Duah-Yentumi, General Manager (Operations), acknowledged that many women have made commendable strides, but more women need to work harder for equity to be fully embraced. She urged all women to earn their place in society based on their abilities, not their gender.

There was questions and answer session on IWD where those who answered correctly were rewarded with gifts.

The Director-General presented fresh flowers to all SIGA women and treated staff to variety of dishes sponsored by him.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on the 8^th of March every year in celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The day is aimed at celebrating women and also serves as a call to action.