Accelerating Progress: MTN Group's International Women's Day Celebration and HeForShe Commitment

MTN Group is steadfast in its purpose to provide the benefits of a modern connected life to everyone across its geographical footprint of 19 markets. Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress, with a focus on gender equality, MTN works diligently to ensure that men and women benefit equally from ICT, thereby assisting to reduce inequalities that exist. MTN is dedicated to promoting the advancement of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, as well as the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. Efforts are directed towards programmes that address inequalities that hinder girls and women from fully participating in and benefiting from the bold, new digital world.

In alignment with the 2024 UN theme, “Invest In Women; Accelerate Progress,” MTN has initiated a campaign/series of events across their operations during March to showcase achievements and further commitments towards a fair and equal world. To kickstart the Campaign on International Women’s Day, MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, shared an inspiring message, providing updates on their progress towards achieving gender equity no later than 2030, outlining the internal practices to ensure that they reach this goal while maintaining a focus on strengthening MTN and the communities that they serve. Watch the video here.

As a champion of change, and a proud member of the HeForShe Alliance, MTN hosted a series of dialogues to complement their campaign, with the first webinar titled “Be the Change; commit to supporting women through Male Allyship.” In a strategic move, they brought together an all-male panel to engage men directly in the conversation on gender equality, emphasising the crucial role of male allyship in fostering inclusion. This thought-provoking conversation brought MTN male leaders Paul Norman (Group Chief HR Officer), Jens Schulte-Bockum (MTN Group COO), Tobe Okigbo (MTN Nigeria Chief Corporate Services Officer), and Djibril Ouattara (MTN Cote d’Ivoire CEO) together to address the challenges faced by women in the workplace. They further generated actionable insights to advance gender equality and build a society that truly values and amplifies the contributions of women in Africa and beyond. Watch the recap here to learn more about what the panellists had to say. Adding his voice to the conversation, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita tackled the importance of allyship & mentorship for women in the workplace during an #IWD Male Allyship Masterclass. He also shared his vision for the future: a significant increase in women in tech, pay equity, and more women leading the company.

Concluding their Women’s Month initiatives, MTN is encouraging all their employees to partake in the HeForShe “Building Gender IQ” online course. They believe this course will further empower their team as agents of change, spreading the HeForShe message throughout their networks. MTN understands that gender equality is beneficial for all — not just women — and can profoundly impact society and the communities they touch.

MTN is proud of their progress made and encourage more companies and organisations to stand up and be accountable for creating a more equitable and sustainable world for all.