March 2024 wasnt just another month on the calendar; it was also an opportunity to highlight, celebrate, and tell stories of women who have shaped, are shaping, and will shape our world. It is an exciting period for honoring the women who have broken barriers and shattered the proverbial glass ceiling across the world. At Flutterwave, we believe doing so also means celebrating countless unsung heroes we interact with daily, such as all Women of the Wave and many others whose contributions empower women and girls everywhere.
As a result, we celebrated the 2024 Women’s History Month with more intentionality, as we’ve always done, actively contributing to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women and young girls across Kenya and Nigeria. Let’s go through the highlights together.
- Celebrating Women of the Wave
We held a special town hall celebrating Women of the Wave, which was nothing short of inspiring. Listening to the stories, achievements, and challenges Women of the Wave have had to overcome reminded us of the strength, resilience, and diversity that makes us who we are. With that, we celebrated each person’s journey, unique contributions, and our collective power of unity. It was also the right opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse community.
- Mentoring School Girls in Nigeria and Kenya
We organized career-themed talks for high school girls in Nigeria and Kenya. This is because of our understanding of the importance of introducing young girls to the endless possibilities available to them in life. If they can see it, they can dream it and do it. Through the talks, we celebrated young girls and women, reiterating that education is key for their personal empowerment and encouraging them to leverage it as a tool to grow and emerge as the next generation of leaders.
In Nigeria, we opened our office doors to the girls from International School, the University of Lagos, and Kuramo College. We introduced them to the world of fintech from the lens of Africa’s leading payment technology company. Women of the Wave, led by Victoria Vodunnu, AVP, People Strategy and Operations, shared words of encouragement with the girls, helping them visualize the endless possibilities ahead of them.
A cross-section of school girls from International School, the University of Lagos, the Kuramo College, along with their coordinators and the Women of the Wave who facilitated the session.
In Kenya, we held an interactive session with the girls at Kibera Girls Soccer. Some Women of the Wave, led by Irene Mwangi, a Manager at Flutterwave, shared their personal journeys and offered guidance and encouragement to the students. By fostering a culture of mentorship and support, we aim to break down barriers and inspire young girls to dream big and realize their full potential.
Irene Mwangi, a manager at Flutterwave, speaks to a group of students at Kibera Girls Soccer in Kenya.
For each of these girls, seeing women who looked like them talking about their struggles and challenges in pursuing their dreams shows them that anything is possible. It reiterated to them that their dreams were valid and that their voices mattered and Women of the Wave became sources of inspiration for the girls.
A cross-section of school girls at Kibera Girls Soccer.
A group of school girls with Omolara Alade-Dauda, a Senior Engineering Manager at Flutterwave.
- Empowering Women-Owned Businesses
In line with our commitment to fostering equity and inclusion, we hosted a product workshop themed “Thriving as a Small Business in a Challenging Economy” for women-owned small businesses. The virtual workshop session featured leading business leaders Hadrat Abolade, Founder of Amila Naturals; Morenike Molehin, Founder of Oak and Teak Interiors; and Yinka Anidugbe-Olaniyan, Founder and CEO of Sweet Pod. The panelists shared insights, practical experiences, tricks, and tips they’ve leveraged to build and sustain successful businesses, especially in this economy. It was a valuable session for our small business community and all participants, as “exciting,” “insightful,” and “useful” are some of the recurring words in their comments. The recording will soon be available on YouTube; you can also check it out.
Without a doubt, the month of March was an important reminder that the journey of gender equality and empowerment is not a one-day, week, or even one-month activity but a daily effort that requires all hands on deck.
At Flutterwave, we are committed to championing equal rights and opportunities for women across the world, and we will not cease to walk the talk from inspiring the next generation of women leaders to empowering female entrepreneurs and supporting our employees. We will continue creating a more inclusive and equitable world for all.