Stakeholders have called for a shift from women’s representation in organisations to meaningful participation, influence and economic power, saying being present in positions of authority does not necessarily translate to having a voice in key decisions.

They spoke during the TEWS 2.0 Media Parley, themed ‘The Winning Playbook’, organised as part of activities around The Executive Woman Summit.

Executive Coach, Board Advisor and Convener of TEWS 2.0, Bola Matel-Okoh, said the conversation around women’s advancement should move beyond inclusion to creating clear pathways that enable women to progress into senior management and chief executive positions.

“We have been so focused on inclusion that now the conversation needs to shift from inclusion to actual participation, influence and economic equality,” she said.

Matel-Okoh noted that women could be represented on boards without necessarily shaping key organisational decisions, citing her experience on the board of a Bank, where she said there were about four women, while the number drops at senior and executive management levels.

She said organisations must address the career pathways through which women enter and progress, rather than limiting them to support functions such as legal and human resources.

“Women are coming in, but what is the path that will reach that woman? Is it to just run support systems, whether it’s legal, whether it’s human resources? So we have to put in systems now that women are being absorbed into organisations, into institutions with a clear path where they are going into CEO and senior management positions,” she said.

Also speaking, Board Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director, Folake Sanu, said women needed to develop competencies beyond their functional areas to progress into executive leadership.

Sanu noted that women could become highly skilled and recognised in specific departments, but executive leadership required an understanding of areas such as market performance, customer experience, strategy and the financial side of the business.

She urged women to understand their key performance indicators and how their roles contribute to the wider organisation, stressing that competence alone was not enough for progression beyond managerial positions.

According to her, women also needed to build relationships, attract followers and understand how their organisations operate.

Sanu further emphasised the importance of sponsorship in career advancement, noting that once a woman had established her competence and gained recognition, she needed people who could support her progression within the organisation.

She likened career progression to playing chess, where women must understand when and how to make strategic moves.

On her part, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Z-Edge Limited, Kikelomo Atanda-Owo, said discussions about women’s success should also recognise the failures, struggles and circumstances behind their achievements.

Atanda-Owo said failure should not be viewed as the opposite of winning, but as part of the process of achieving success.

She said women should also acknowledge that failure could occur in different areas of life, including marriage, parenting and friendship, adding that such experiences should not define them permanently.

Atanda-Owo urged women to consider the people around them as part of their definition of success, including domestic workers and drivers, stressing the importance of treating them with dignity and supporting their wellbeing.

She also called for unlearning and relearning among women and urged them to support other women to grow, stressing the importance of building a legacy through the impact they make on others