In March, as organizations across the globe marked International Women’s Day, Tangerine Insurance chose to go beyond symbolic gestures crafting a powerful, two-part narrative that bridged empathy with strategy, and action with advocacy.

It began on March 16, not in a boardroom, but within the walls of the Female Correctional Centre in Idi Araba, Lagos.

On that day, the Tangerine Women Community, led by members of its Human Resources team, stepped into a space often overlooked in mainstream conversations about empowerment. The visit, anchored on the global theme “Give to Gain,” was more than an outreach it was a statement.

Representatives including Glory Awodu (Tangerine General Insurance), Caroline Duru (Tangerine Life insurance) and Kemi Ipinnaye (THT) alongside other notable women across the Tangerine Group, arrived not just with care packages tailored to the needs of the residents, but with something far more enduring: presence.
They listened. They encouraged. They connected.

In an environment where many women are defined by their past, Tangerine chose instead to affirm their future offering dignity, warmth, and a reminder that their stories are still being written. The atmosphere was not one of charity, but of shared humanity. For Tangerine, Corporate Social Responsibility was not a checkbox it was a lived experience.

But if March 16 was about touching lives, March 18 was about transforming narratives.

Just two days later, Tangerine convened a high-level symposium themed “Inspiring Inclusion,” bringing together thought leaders, executives, and professionals to interrogate one of Africa’s most urgent paradoxes: why, despite near-equal access to education, so few women make it to leadership.

The event opened with a compelling welcome address by Temitope Adewale (TTA), Executive Director of Tangerine General Insurance. In her remarks, she celebrated the women of Tangerine and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to their growth and advancement.

She emphasized the importance of guidance and shared experience, noting that while the path to leadership becomes clearer with those who have walked it before, women must also take ownership of their journeys sharing their stories, supporting one another, and inspiring collective progress.

Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Folusho Olaniyan, OON, Independent Director at Odu’a Investment Company Limited, presented a compelling reality. While Africa boasts a 98% gender parity in education, the number of women in executive leadership drops sharply to between 7% and 20%.

She described this as the “Leaky Pipeline”—a systemic breakdown caused not by lack of competence, but by structural and cultural barriers. From domestic expectations to exclusion from informal corporate networks where key decisions are made, the obstacles are both visible and hidden.

Her message was clear: progress requires intention.

“Women must support women. We must mentor, we must speak up, and we must actively pull others along,” she emphasized.

The conversation quickly moved from social observation to economic urgency. Data shared during the session revealed that advancing gender equality could contribute up to $316 billion to Africa’s GDP, reinforcing that inclusion is not just a moral imperative, but a business necessity.

A dynamic panel session featuring Dr. Sharon Faqua, Titilope Oguntuga, Ifedayo Durosimi-Etti, and Osato Ogiamien expanded the dialogue, offering practical insights on leadership, confidence, and visibility. Moderated by Moyo Awopegba, ESG Manager at Tangerine, the discussion challenged women to embrace risk, own their voices, and redefine leadership on their own terms.

The presence of senior leadership further underscored the importance of the moment, including Kehinde Borisade, Managing Director of Tangerine Life Insurance, and Ademayowa Adeduro, Managing Director of Tangerine General Insurance.

Bringing the session to a close, Tonye Ukpong, Managing Director/CEO of Total Health Trust (THT), delivered a reflective and impactful closing remark. She described the session as deeply insightful, noting that it resonated not just professionally, but personally.

Encouraging women to build strong support systems, she emphasized the importance of finding one’s tribe while also sharing her own journey to executive leadership.

In her words: “You do not negotiate at the top if you do not have what to give at the top.”
Across both days, a clear pattern emerged.

On March 16, Tangerine showed that inclusion must reach the margins extending care and compassion to women in vulnerable circumstances.

On March 18, it demonstrated that inclusion must also reshape the center challenging systems, redefining leadership, and creating pathways for women to rise.

Together, these moments formed a single, cohesive message: true empowerment is both external and internal. It is as much about lifting others as it is about building structures where more women can thrive.
Even beyond Women’s Month, Tangerine’s impact goes further, it didn’t just join the global conversation, it advanced it.

From the correctional centre in Idi Araba to the corporate stage, the organization illustrated that when purpose meets action, impact is inevitable.

And in doing so, it set a compelling precedent: that the future of business and indeed society will be shaped by those bold enough not only to speak about inclusion, but to live it.