The “Chá de Conexões” (“Tea of Connections”) event — an initiative promoted in a partnership between BCI and New Faces New Voices (NFNV), as part of the celebrations of Women's Month — took place on Tuesday, 15 April, in the BCI auditorium in Maputo. The gathering included a panel devoted to the theme “Women in the extractive industry: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability”, whose speakers were Ludovina Bernardo, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Hydrocarbons Company; Fáusia Gonçalves, a businesswoman in the transport sector; and Natália Camba, of the National Petroleum Institute.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of BCI's Executive Committee (CEO), Francisco Costa, expressed the wish that the event would provide an afternoon of connections and empowerment, underlining “the indispensable role of women in society throughout history”. At another point, Francisco Costa urged those present to make the most of the occasion “so that it can be repeated, and truly add value. May all of us, together, contribute in an ever more striking way to building a better Mozambique — a more inclusive, more sustainable society. And even all of you who are here are not enough. We need everyone who will come”. Later, BCI's CEO reiterated the Bank's commitment to the inclusion of women in the business sphere and announced, in partnership with New Faces New Voices, the launch of initiatives focused on female empowerment, through skills development, as well as products and services aimed at women.
The representative of New Faces New Voices, Glayds Gande, for her part, highlighted the strength and determination of Mozambican women in "making things happen", especially in demanding sectors such as the extractive industry. She acknowledged that the female presence in that sector represents resilience, innovation and quiet leadership. According to Glayds Gande, “NFNV believes that true economic transformation will only be possible with the financial inclusion of women, and therefore it works on three fundamental pillars”: access to financial services and capital, in partnership with BCI; access to networks of influence, so that women's voices are heard in decision-making spaces; as well as training and capacity-building, to prepare women to take on leadership positions. She also reinforced NFNV's commitment to continue working towards a more inclusive economy led by empowered and influential women.
