Highlights from WIMBIZ 2022

It was such an honor to virtually join the Women In Management, Business & Public Service event this year, #wimbizannualconference.?

Day 1 focused a lot on women leadership and they discussed the importance of having women serve on boards and women in government. Until we have women in leadership positions, we will not be able to make the changes that will bring equality. It was inspiring to see so many Nigerian women at the conference striving to be in leadership positions. I hope that eha Impact Ventures will be able to partner with WIMBOARD in the coming year and we can work together to achieve the goal of 50/50 representation of women on boards.

Day 2 highlighted some amazing women leaders and visionaries. The highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Chimamanda Adichie. She told her story and took time to answer questions from the audience. It stuck out to me that so much of what she spoke about was in regards to mental health. She opened by sharing that she had recently lost both of her parents and that she has found that grief doesn’t come in the sad moments, it comes in the happy times because she wishes she could share them with her parents. I thought this was a very profound message. She later highlighted that life is both light and dark - and its ok to talk about the dark times and in fact, we should encourage it so our children feel safe when talking about depression.? Lastly, she highlights that people should do what they love, not what is expected of them. And you shouldn’t worry about what other people think. You don’t have to be liked - just be yourself.

It was amazing sitting in the audience and even though I was attending virtually, I could still feel the energy of the women in the room coming through the screen. I can only imagine how much motivation and encouragement the women who were lucky enough to attend in person are leaving with. This is why these conferences are so important. Who knows what next great leader was sitting in the audience this year and has received the confidence to strike out and try to have a positive impact in Nigeria.

Thank you to the WIMBIZ organizers for their passion and great impact on women.