eHealth Africa has called for the advancement of Women’s Rights and Capacities to promote Sustainable Impact in public health, digital innovations and other fields of human endeavours.
The call was made by eHealth Africa’s Senior Manager, Talent and Performance, Nuzo Eziechi, during a high level Insights webinar with the theme titled, “Advancing Women’s Rights for Sustainable Impact”.
Nuzo stressed that promoting women’s rights requires both systemic changes and supportive environments.
According to her, “The issue is not a lack of capable women, but a lack of structures to move them into leadership”.
She highlighted the importance of access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership representation, alongside mentorship, networks, and continuous learning.
She underscored that inclusion must be intentional and data-driven, noting that “without data, equity conversations remain abstract.”
Drawing from organisational practice, she illustrated how deliberate policies such as leadership pipelines, flexible work structures, and measurable targets can translate commitment into tangible outcomes.
“There is a need to move beyond receiving support to actively creating opportunities for others through mentorship, improved access, and equitable systems”, she said.
Nuzo added that there are many capable women everywhere. What is lacking are deliberate structures that help women move from competence to influence.
“At eHealth Africa, the lesson is very real as women make up 33.3% of our workforce. This is extremely important to us, and if you look at our Objectives, Key Results for 2026, you will see that we are intentional about it,” she said.
Another panellist at the webinar, Augustina Okpechi, Project and Communication Lead at KSH Foundation, highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for others, saying, “True growth comes not only from receiving but from actively opening doors for others”.
Okpechi emphasised that giving extends beyond financial support to include mentorship, access, representation, and creating safe spaces.
She described giving as a cycle that drives collective advancement and challenges individuals to intentionally open doors for others.
On her own part, Hannatu Balarabe Saidu, Project Manager, Girl Child Program, Maina & Kids Children Foundation, brought a community-centred perspective, pointing to cultural norms, limited education, inadequate healthcare, and underrepresentation in leadership as persistent barriers, particularly in underserved regions.
“There are many barriers, but one of the most persistent is culture and tradition. These often limit women’s participation in leadership and decision-making”, she said.
She added that, “Nigeria made a commitment to empower women by allocating 35% of seats to them in local governments, state governments, and the federal government.
“However, it is surprising that as of 2026, the actual representation of women in these offices hovers only around 5% to 7%, which is clearly a major concern”.
The panel concluded with a clear message that advancing women’s rights and empowerment requires deliberate action, measurable outcomes, and long-term investment.
Panellists emphasised that beyond advocacy, true progress comes from intentional policies, community engagement, mentorship, and inclusive leadership.
