In commemoration of International Women’s Day, StartupHR Africa hosted its SheMentors-HR initiative, a mentorship-driven event designed to equip and elevate women in Human Resources across the startup ecosystem.
  
The event, themed “One Day. One Mentor. A Stronger HR Future,” brought together over 30 emerging HR professionals and a curated group of experienced HR leaders for a structured mentorship experience focused on building practical capability, clarity, and long-term career direction.
  
The initiative reflects StartupHR Africa’s broader commitment to strengthening the HR ecosystem by investing in both leadership and pipeline recognising that as startups scale, the demand for strong people systems continues to grow.
  
The mentorship session featured a distinguished group of HR professionals who are actively shaping people operations across leading organisations. These included; Head of People & Culture at Mono, Freda McCarthy Okosodo; Chief People Officer at Helium Health, Ijeoma Oyeyinka; Head of HR at ROVA (FCMB), Teju Fola-Alade; Head of People at Bamboo, Misan Adesanmni; Head of People & Culture at SeamlessHR, Moyowa Uranje-Odueso; Head of People & Culture at PaidHR, Chibuzo Ihentuge-Eric; Chief Executive Officer at TGL Labs Ltd, Elizabeth Okonji and Founder of CareerLife Global, Yewande Jinadu.
  
Through direct engagement with mentors, participants gained insight into navigating HR within startup environments, designing effective people systems, and positioning HR as a strategic function within growing organisations.
  
Speaking on the initiative, StartupHR Africa noted that empowering women in HR requires more than visibility, it requires access, structure, and intentional development.
   
“Strong organisations are built on strong people systems, and those systems are built by capable professionals. Our goal is to ensure more women are equipped to lead within that space,” the organisation stated.
  
The SheMentors-HR initiative also aligns with StartupHR Africa’s ongoing efforts to spotlight excellence within the HR profession, particularly among women who are contributing to the growth and stability of startups across Africa.
  
By combining mentorship with recognition, the organisation is fostering a more connected and capable HR community, one that is better positioned to support the evolving needs of modern businesses.
  
As startups across the continent continue to expand, initiatives like SheMentors-HR highlight the importance of building not just companies, but the systems and professionals that sustain them.