IMAD Women's Day Event

This year, I was inspired by Emitomo Oluwatobiloba's Baddies in Development feminist community to bring together women from the development sector to share insights on issues that uniquely impact women, based on their personal experiences.

As a result, IMAD hosted our first ever women’s day event aptly titled: ‘Trailblazing Together’. It really spoke to the calibre of women who graced us with their presence, intelligence and warmth. We hope for it to speak to all who want to join IMAD on our journey to collaborative impact.

The Event Concept

The vision behind the event was simple – though, as is often the case, the execution was far from it! (But that’s a story for another time.) We aimed to create a space where women doing impactful work could gather in a relaxed, brunch-like setting. The atmosphere was designed to encourage creativity and connection, with fun activities, cocktails and mocktails (a special shout-out to Locale’s mango margarita), and a dessert-related activity to spark conversation.

And the results? Truly inspirational!

Cupcake Art: A Sweet Opportunity for Reflection

One of the standout activities was led by the talented Lolade Ogunjimi of Dainty Affairs, who demonstrated the art of cupcake decorating or 'Caking' as she calls it. What seemed like a simple task turned out to be far more intricate than we anticipated! While she guided us through the decorating process, she also shared some of the industry’s most precious cupcake secrets. Who knew how cupcake fillings got inside them? We certainly didn't.

At IMAD, we are deeply intentional in our approach. So, we encouraged participants to reflect on the following themes and express them through their cupcake designs:

• The key challenges faced by women and girls

• Areas where we are making strides in advancing gender equality

• Actions we still need to take to address gender inequality

• A personal pledge to accelerate gender equality

Key Insights from Our Cupcake Designers

Challenges

Featuring: The 'Rage Cake' - Can you guess which it is?

Our "Cupcake Picassos" shared invaluable insights, particularly when it came to illustrating the challenges women face:

• Director of Africa Forward at Catalyst Now Pearl Uzokwe’s cupcake, titled "Righteous Rage" (or what I like to call "the Rage Cake"), was a red velvet treat with strawberry filling, symbolizing the justified anger against a patriarchal system where women still struggle to have a seat at the table. She spoke passionately about how being excluded from decision-making limits women’s ability to shape solutions, such as the misguided (and sometimes entire absence of) timelines set for inclusivity quotas.

• Founder of Majeurs Holdings, Demi Samande’s cupcake, "The Disconnect", used varying strands of purple icing to highlight the disconnect many experience on the climb to the top. She reflected on how stakeholders, beneficiaries, and others in the development ecosystem often seem out of sync, making it difficult to forge a clear path forward toward success.

• Founder of Obsidian Advisory Africa, Damilola Ademilokun's "Beautiful Chaos" cupcake was beautifully decorated on the outside but empty at its core, symbolizing the Nigerian fashion industry’s superficial appeal yet lack of internal structure, processes, and regulation.

What’s Going Well

When it came to highlighting areas where we’re making progress, one key theme emerged: the power of female support. Programmes Supervisor at NerdzFactory Company, Omozele Umoren shared her thoughts on how women are increasingly recognising and celebrating each other's successes in the development space. Head of Strategy and Product Development at Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Gbemisola Ladipo echoed this sentiment in her cupcake design, illustrating the growing trend of women supporting each other’s progress.

What We Can Do Better

As for areas of improvement, Partner at CrossBoundary Group, Nneka Chime used her undecorated cupcake to represent the need for self-acceptance and the strength found in simplicity. She also pointed out that women often aren’t as intentional about seeking partnerships as men are. Using the example of her kids’ school group chat, she highlighted how women’s discussions often revolve around social matters like playdates, while men’s chats focus on business and collaboration. To drive progress, she emphasised the importance of women proactively building relationships and asking questions like, "What do you do?" and "How can I help?"

Executive Director of DBD GLOBAL, Onyeka Nwobu spoke powerfully about the need for a mindset shift regarding money. Her "money cake" illustrated the importance of teaching women how to generate income, market themselves, and achieve financial independence. She urged women to embrace the power of sales and the value they can bring to the table.

Pledges: Taking Action for Gender Equality

We closed the event by asking the women to commit to actions they could take within their power to advance gender equality.Employability Programs Manager & Corporate Trainer at TEAL Africa, Kanyin Adio-Moses pledged to continue offering high-impact soft skills programs for women and other beneficiaries, even though they may not be the most profitable from a business perspective. Programmes Manager at Enterprise NGR, Joy Abara took a personal pledge, vowing to bet on herself and give herself the chance to thrive.

Conclusion

A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible women who chose to be part of this event. Your presence, creativity, and passion made this gathering truly special. While we may not be leaving our day jobs to pursue careers in baking, all the cupcake designs were a beautiful reflection of crucial considerations for accelerating gender equality.

Happy International Women’s Day!