ExxonMobil Foundation supports women’s empowerment
The Vice-President of ExxonMobil Exploration Company in charge of Africa, Mrs Pam Darwin, has announced that the company had invested $24 billion in Africa towards women’s empowerment.
Speaking at a breakfast business meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing 21st Africa Upstream Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, she said as part of the agenda to empower women, “The ExxonMobil Foundation, through the ExxonMobil Malaria Initiative, supports a wide range of prevention, treatment and advocacy programmes to end deaths from malaria.”
Mrs Darwin, who is based in Texas, USA, explained that the foundation empowered women in the areas of science and mathematics, as well as malaria prevention, to give credence to the popular view that “good health is a springboard for growth and development.”
The meeting brought together women professionals from varied backgrounds to brainstorm on the critical issue of providing support to women in Africa.
Mrs Darwin, who was the guest speaker, observed that it was imperative to empower women because by nature women always supported society and adequately catered for their families and ensured that society benefited from their generosity.
She indicated that the foundation was committed to ensuring that the talents of women were tapped to the fullest and stressed the need to give better opportunities to women to enhance their participation in decision making and give meaning to affirmative action.
Delegates at the meeting indicated their commitment to support initiatives by both governmental and non-governmental organisations, to champion the cause of women towards their economic empowerment and also create the necessary conditions for women to realise their full potential.
Writer’s email: sabastian.syme@graphic.com.gh