Mariam Aduwa- International Banking Institution
What's your name and what do you do? My name is Mariam Aduwa, I am a finance and risk manager at an international banking institution
This years theme is all about #acceleratingaction. What do you understand by this and how can we activate this in your respective space? For me, accelerating action means looking for ways to implement and accelerate those strategies that would help eradicate gender bias. Particularly in financial services, there is a disproportionate amount of men vs women and even more so, more men in senior roles climbing corporate ladder quickly than women. Accelerating action means putting together development programmes, or talent attraction and retention programmes to make sure women are supported through career progression, additionally making sure mothers are supported in return to work programmes.
Many women use fashion as a tool for building confidence. Can you share a time when a particular outfit choice made you feel especially empowered? I feel empowered everyday when I step out of the house. I am particularly fashion conscious, I communicate my love for fashion with my style and colours. I keep it simple yet authentic enough to attract compliments. I feel being empowered by fashion is not so much the brand or the price tag, but how you feel in the whole package, the style including accessories, make up and hair do etc. effectively what makes a complete fashion statement.
Looking ahead, what kind of world do you envision for future generations of women, and what role do you believe you can play in creating that reality? Women need to feel strong in the communities they are part of, competitive in a good way, supportive to other fellow women and gender. A world where they feel that they are not at a disadvantage or that they feel they can achieve their full potential should they want to. I do my part by upskilling women through mentoring and coaching, and through instilling confidence in my own.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to share my views, wishing all the women at Nouva!