Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Young women urged to take up roles in business sector

by LAUREN CODLING

YOUNG WOMEN have been urged to consider careers in London’s financial district by senior women in the profession, as a major event encouraging gender equality in business took place in the capital last week.


The She Can Be (SCB) project, held last Thursday (13), was organised to improve gender equality in the City, London’s most prominent financial and business district.

Run by the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, the initiative invited young girls to speak with City employees from major companies with the intention of inspiring them to consider roles in the business sector. Young women aged between 15-18 attended the event at Canary Wharf ’s East Wintergarden last Thursday (13).

The event comes following concerns that girls could not see a future for themselves within the business sector.

According to a SCB benchmark survey, 51 per cent believed the City was more a place for men to work than women.

Two of the SCB ‘real models’ in attendance at the event included Julie Dang, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme co-ordinator at Canary Wharf Group (CWG), and Esosa Evbuomwan, client relations & operations manager at Institutional Investor.

Both agree the misconception that men are more successful in the City could be off-putting for young girls.

Historically there are far more men in roles in the City and Canary Wharf than there are women, Dang explained. So, young women could presume that men are more likely to be successful in these fields.

“There is a common phrase that ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ and if young women feel underrepresented, this attitude could breed adversely,” Dang told Eastern Eye. “This is why we need to empower young women to see that the City and Canary Wharf as not only a viable, but exciting career option for them, to inspire them to realise and polish the skills they already have, build their confidence, and encourage them to explore different industries and roles they may

not know much about.”

Evbuomwan added: “I think people still see (the City) as a ‘boys club’.”

A 2018 Girlguiding Girls’ survey showed the majority of girls (67 per cent) believed they did not have the same chances in the workplace as

men. It also found 73 per cent of young women agreed that women have to work much harder than men to succeed.

Both expressed keenness for young girls to explore the different career options and advised they do not feel discouraged by stereotypes attitudes of men working primarily in business.

“Don’t let any ‘no’s stop you,” Evbuomwan advised. “Not everything works out the first, second or third, time. Just keep trying.”

Dang recommended researching roles which may be of interest.

“Find out what the role entails, what qualifications and training you need, the salary range, and any career progression opportunities,” Dang said. “If you want something, you have to be willing to come out of your comfort zone to achieve it.”

Dang, who has been working in the CSR team at Canary Wharf Group for nearly three years, stressed it has worked hard to be more inclusive. For instance, the Group publishes an annual review process to measure where they are improving and where they can focus to attract, develop and retain female talent.

Evbuomwan said she wished she had had a similar project such as SCB to take part in when she was younger. Getting involved with the initiative was a way she felt she could give back and help the younger

generation. “I’ve been involved in a few mentorship schemes over the years, and this seemed like a great project,” she said.

Dang echoed similar sentiments. As corporate partners of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, CWG had the opportunity to get involved with several initiatives, including the SCB event. One of Dang’s main responsibilities was to highlight careers and job opportunities within the business, the SCB fell “perfectly within her remit”.

“It was something I feel passionate to promote, especially since I was also unsure of what career path to take when I was in school,” she said.

Firms that took part in the event included Albourne Partners; Allianz Global Investors; Capgemini; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Euromoney; Fidelity International; M&G Prudential; Polar Capital; Quilter Cheviot; and Standard Chartered, among others.

More For You

JLR Tata

A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England.

JLR Q1 sales dip as US tariffs hit exports

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported a 10.7 per cent drop in sales for the April–June quarter, as a temporary pause in shipments to the United States and the phase-out of Jaguar’s legacy models weighed on volumes.

The company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, sold 87,286 units to dealers worldwide during the quarter, compared to 97,755 units in the same period last year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less