BBC Africa Eye Reporter, Kiki Mordi, has called out Wema Bank over a message to mark International Women’s Day.
The bank wrote in a message sent to its customers on Sunday to mark the day: “Today, #EachforEqual will trend and some of us will think it is only for a certain gender.”
After stating its hope of an inclusive system for all, the bank concluded: “But we are the mothers raising patriarchal sons, the bosses who make it difficult for female subordinates, and the friend who won’t speak up when male friends do wrong. We should do better. All of us. Each for the other. Each for Equal.”
Ms Mordi, however, said on Twitter on Sunday that the bank decided to use its platform to ridicule the day set aside to celebrate women.
“This is a bank that has decided to use its platform to ridicule the one day that has been set aside to celebrate you, a woman. Do they look like they give a shit about equality? Did they care enough to research your day? Do they even know why we celebrate #IWD every year?” she asked.
“So why are you funding the patriarchy? Until we take decisive actions to stop putting our very limited resources into businesses that refuse to be gender-sensitive, we will keep dancing around in circles. #BoycottWemaBank until they apologize to you. Your money is worth respect,” she said in another tweet.
Wema Bank, in a statement on Twitter, clarified its message, saying it only made a call for women to be more supportive of one another.
“It seems that our #IWD message has been taken to be insensitive to some of our dear women. But our true intention is simply a call for all women to do better in supporting each other, correct the men who don’t see the evils of patriarchy keep our voices high enough as we slay and let all know that the call for gender equality is a collective fight for us all. Once again, happy international women’s day,” the tweet read.
