Delta Air Lines inspires change and inclusion to empower women
March is a special month with International Women’s Day and events that are devoted to celebrating the achievements of women and seeking gender equality.
Delta Air Lines came together with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and US Embassy Commercial Services to host over 70 professional women at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra under the theme ‘Empowering Women: Leading Change for Ghana’s Future’.
The accomplished women – spanning multiple professional backgrounds, including aviation, finance, law, communication, media, security and even students – were treated to high-level speakers, fun activities to drive discussion among attendees and valuable networking over a High Tea Reception.
In her opening remarks, Eloina Baddoo – General Manager, Delta Air Lines GSA, said: “I am proud to lead an all-female team at Delta – a decision that goes to show Delta’s stand on inclusivity within the company”.
She emphasised that the decision to have women at the helm of the business was based on merit and competence. She added: “Re-writing the narrative and breaking through the glass ceiling is crucial to ensure more female representation in leadership roles in the workplace”.
The main speaker for the event, Ayesha Bedwei Ibe, PwC Global People Leader – Tax and Legal Services, spoke about her personal experience and highlighted five points in which women can embrace change to support their careers.
“We know change is a constant. With that we need to build on our skills, lean into creativity and innovation, our emotional intelligence, our support of one another and foster our desire to be better,” Ms. Ibe exhorted women, urging them not to be deterred by change but acquire skills from their experiences to build resilience and prepare for the future ahead.
As part of the morning activities, the women engaged in an exciting game of “myths busters” in which they worked in groups to brainstorm on how to debunk certain myths about women.
The exercise brought to bear the many qualities that makes women unique and capable of breaking boundaries to achieve their goals. The groups shared interesting insights to motivate themselves and not give in to societal pressures. The “myths busters” game fostered collaboration and teamwork.
Contributing to the need for change in their personal and professional lives, the other speaker for the day, Ms. Laurie Kelleher, a Commercial Officer with U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, stressed on the importance of digital inclusion.
She encouraged women to keep up with digital skills as they advanced in their careers.
“I am constantly re- training in IT to keep up with the latest developments so that I am able to deliver my best work.” She added that women should not to be afraid to progress in their careers as women leaders, bring a vital perspective and voice on decision-making and equally be conscious of the need to develop strong boundaries.
The event closed with Delta souvenirs for all guests in beautiful packages from ePac Flexible Packaging West Africa.
This was a second high profile event Delta has sponsored this month, supporting women. Earlier this month, Delta hosted over 30 girls from South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana at a 4-day event focused on developing the next generation of female leaders.
The LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement, Development) camp sought to empower the girls with essential skills needed to realise their dreams. Delta not only lives up to its nature of connecting people to places, but to opportunities too. Delta operates daily non-stop service from Accra to New York JFK and has been serving the Ghanaian market since 2006.