Winner of Africa's Fearless Thinker award announced

MEDIA RELEASE

7 OCTOBER 2022

RMB inaugural gender award category winner announced

Dr Gladys Ngetich is the inaugural winner in the RMB’s Africa’s Fearless Thinker category at the 10^th Accenture Gender Mainstreaming Awards (GMAs).

RMB’s Africa’s Fearless Thinker award seeks to identify an individual who is recognised among their colleagues and/or community for their ground-breaking, innovative thought leadership on tackling gender mainstreaming issues.

The GMAs were developed by Business Engage to acknowledge and celebrate meaningful representation of women in mainstream business across Africa.

Ngetich leads the Iluu Organisation - headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya - which mentors, inspires and empowers women and girls, particularly in rural Kenya. Iluu has so far impacted on more than 8 000 students – mainly women and girls – through educational outreach programmes.

“I am delighted and honoured to have this award bestowed on me,” says Ngetich. “Initiatives such as the Accenture Gender Mainstreaming Awards are vital in showcasing the plight of women and girls in society and business, and keeping gender issues in the spotlight in Africa and throughout the world. We believe that prosperous and more inclusive societies of tomorrow can be achieved by empowering women and girls of today. There is no doubt that everybody benefits when a girl is empowered.”

“RMB has a long-standing relationship with Business Engage and the GMAs,” says RMB chief marketing officer, Alison Badenhorst. “We support the spirit of the awards, which aim to strengthen the current gender conversation.

“We believe that if we all play our part, we have the ability to influence this conversation and promote systemic change.”

Ngetich says a vast number of studies have been conducted in the area of girl/women empowerment.

“From all these studies, a common conclusion is evident: the enormous benefits that trickle down when a girl or woman is empowered. For instance, we see a reduction in maternal deaths, child marriages and under-seventeen girls who get pregnant,” she says.

And while a lot has been done and achieved by various people and organisations, Ngetich says there is still a long way to go.

“Iluu aims to join efforts with other partners in working towards empowering girls in an attempt to meet both the local and global target of bettering societies.”

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Contact:

Joandra Griesel l RMB l joandra.griesel@rmb.co.za