The International Bar Association (IBA) president and a team of women took the bold initiative to organise, commemorate, celebrate and dialogue with other like-minded women from all walks of life collectively and locally as the world mark International Women’s Day.

The focus topic discussed was “The Ten Directives to Break The Glass Ceiling In Our Profession” which was officially launched on March 8.

In Ghana, the second celebration of IBA Women’s Day was hosted at the premises of Emma-Jean Markin, the Secretary for the African Regional Forum of the IBA and Managing partner of Markin & Associates.

The warmly adorned offices of Markin and Associates welcomed women from various professions.

For the first half of the programme, Emma–Jean Markin and her Associate, Sandra Christopher Amissah along with invited guests, joined the IBA event virtually via Zoom to have various discussions centred on women’s development.

The second part of the programme dubbed “Chat by the Fireside”, featured Deborah Mawuse Agyemfra, Deputy Director-General, Legal of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Maame Brago Yeboah, Managing Partner of Ark Legal Consult as the two keynote speakers.

The conversation was moderated by Emma-Jean Markin.

It involved the discussion of directives centring on ‘Those which depend on us:
Merits – Building of Skills and Knowledge'.

This topic discussed were Growing Professional Relationships and Networks Gaining,  Internal and External Visibility, Owning the Professional Space, Maintaining a Work-Life Balance and Being Yourself.

It also focused on ‘Those which the workplace must embrace’ which looked at Opportunity, Visibility, Flexibility, Mentoring and Sponsoring.

Mrs Deborah Mawuse Agyemfra and Maame Birago Yeboah discussed these directives and shared their personal experiences, recommendations and suggestions as to how to implement and live them out.

The attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences.

At the end of the day, the feedback from the attendees was encouraging as the purpose of educating women on how to reach and break the glass ceiling in their respective professions amidst their various domestic roles as wives and mothers was achieved.

The icing on the cake was the opportunity to implement one of the directives; which is Growing Professional Relationships and Network.

Attendees greatly utilised this opportunity to make new friends, build networks and build associations.