https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-take-up-leadership-roles-in-energy-sector-esther-cobbah-urges-women.html
Take up leadership roles in energy sector - Esther Cobbah
urges women
Women
working in the country’s power sector have been urged to embrace leadership
roles and actively participate meaningfully to strengthen institutional
resilience in the energy systems.
The President of the Institute
of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, and the International Public Relations
Association (IPRA), Esther Ambah Numaba Cobbah, said despite progress in gender
advocacy, women remained significantly underrepresented in technical and
energy-related professions.
She said outdated stereotypes
that suggested women were less suited for science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) must be deliberately challenged and dismantled.
Ms Cobbah was speaking at
GRIDCo Ladies Association (GRIDLASS) Women’s Day celebration in Tema, on the
theme: “Empowered women, resilient systems: Accelerating equity in power and
leadership.”
In attendance were staff,
management, board members and stakeholders of the power company and other
stakeholders who reflected on gender inclusion, leadership development and
organisational resilience.
Commendation
Ms Cobbah commended the Ghana
Grid Company Limited for selecting resilience as the central theme of the
event, describing it as timely and relevant to its mandate of ensuring the
stable and reliable transmission of electricity across the country.
She, however, said that
resilience should not be viewed only in technical terms, but must also include
financial strength, administrative efficiency, and human capacity development.
Ms Cobbah said women already
interacted with technology in their daily lives and professional roles and,
therefore, had the capacity to contribute significantly to national development
when given equal opportunity.
he called for deliberate workplace systems that supported
women’s advancement, particularly caregiving responsibilities that often
affected career progression.
“These barriers are not about
ability but about structure. When the environment is right, women excel,” she
said.
Gender equity
The Board Chair of GRIDCo,
Kuukua Maurice Ankrah, called for gender equity, describing it as a structural
necessity rather than a symbolic gesture.
She encouraged women to be bold, visible and confident in professional spaces,
particularly in leadership and technical roles.
Representation
The President of GRIDLASS,
Azara Amadu, said there was the need for deliberate policies to improve female
representation within GRIDCo.
noting that out of 854 staff, only 140 were women. She described
inclusion as essential for innovation and organisational resilience.
She said out of the nine board
members, only one was a woman, while three out of 15 management members were
female.
At the middle management
level, six out of 38 are women, indicating a narrowing pipeline for female
advancement.
Ms Amadu, therefore, called
for targeted recruitment, structured mentorship programmes, leadership training
and clear career development pathways to support women’s progression.
For his part, the Director of
Corporate Services at GRIDCo, Samuel Acquah, said the company’s 2024 gender
policy demonstrated its commitment to inclusion and supporting women balancing
professional responsibilities with family life.
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