High Tea Event: Vodafone director discusses empowering women in tech

At the recent W. High Tea Event, Angela Mensah-Poku, Director of Digital and Commercial Operations at Vodafone Ghana, shared her insights on empowering women in the technology sector. The event, organised by The Fitz- gerald and Curate Mktg, in partnership with Access Bank’s Women Initiative, focused on the theme “Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.”

Angela highlighted the importance of soft skills in a male-dominated industry, emphasising the value of effective verbal and written communication, a strong work ethic, and emotional intelligence. “Understanding who you are as a person is what makes you a better leader. It requires that you be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses,” she stated. Addressing the challenges that women face in technology roles, Angela underscored the signi cance of fostering a supportive environment. She praised Vodafone Ghana’s e orts in this regard, stating, “We are very deliberate about how we coach, mentor, and support women in the organisation.” She explained that Vodafone Ghana champions programmes like ReConnect, which assists female professionals returning to the workforce after a career break.

One of the key aspects of creating a more inclusive workplace, according to Angela, is addressing unconscious biases. She emphasised the need to counter these biases during the recruitment process, explaining that Vodafone Ghana ensures there is a female interviewer on every panel. “For this reason, there is a balance at the interviewing stage and that helps us bring in competent, credible women who can do the job,” she said. Angela also highlighted the need for gender diversity in product development, emphasising the importance of including women at the decision-making table. “By promoting inclusivity in all aspects of technology development, companies can create products that better serve the needs of both men and women,” she said.

Speaking on Vodafone Ghana’s commitment to empowering women in tech, Angela shared that 70% of the company’s senior management team is female. “We’ve deliberately placed competent females into those roles, and we’ve seen the bene ts,” she remarked. This approach demonstrates Vodafone Ghana’s dedication to addressing gender inequality in the workplace and fostering a more inclusive environment. As the conversation surrounding gender equality continues to gain momentum, platforms like the High Tea event provide unique opportunities for women to empower each other in technology and all industries. By fostering inclusive environments and promoting gender equality in innovation, companies like Vodafone Ghana are helping to bridge the gender gap and drive progress in the sector.