Spotlight on Hannah Awonuga
Welcome to the Spotlight Series. Every fortnight, we shine a light on people that are driving change for gender equality. To raise awareness of their brilliant work, share some useful resources and inspire with more ways to take action towards gender equality. This week we’re looking to the incredible, Hannah Awonuga.
Hannah is the founder of Rarity London career development services; founded in 2017 to actively support professional women excel in their careers. She is the Group Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Partner at Knight Frank following a 17 year career at Barclays Bank, with her final role being Global Head of Colleague Engagement within Diversity and Inclusion. Hannah recently won the WeAreTheCity rising star award, was named amongst the most inspirational D&I professionals by D&I leaders and is in the Top 25 most influential HR practitioners by HR Magazine, as a women to watch by Leading Ladies Africa.
We asked Hannah what motivates her to fight for gender equality: "What motivates me to fight for gender equality is that in the early years of my career I didn't see women who looked like me, sounded like me or came from the same background as me. As I have progressed in my career, it is my mission to change that narrative and champion gender equality for ALL women. I want the next generation of women not to be judged based on their gender but rather their abilities, skills and knowledge."
Hannah is already making strides in changing that narrative for the next generation. Last year, she launched the “Meet My Future Self” initiative which focuses on inspiring 13-14yrs old school girls in lower socio-economic backgrounds. The initiative invites senior women from diverse backgrounds to share their career journeys, past experiences and what they have learnt that has helped them along their career paths.
Follow Hannah on Linkedin where she shares inspiring and thought-provoking content, as well as practical resources to help you in taking action for equality. Hannah also created a comprehensive career guide, which celebrates the richness of diversity around the world and the true beauty of an inclusive workplace. A 208-page journal with 20 pages centered around helping professionals excel in their careers and evaluate their skills and abilities. Hannah is offering Squash followers a 10% discount here using Squash22.
____________________________________________________
Squash use drama to challenge gender bias in the workplace. We are not about cancel culture. Pointing fingers get nothing done. We all have biases - rather than dwelling on the problem, lets keep the conversation focused on positive action. Drama engages hearts and minds, acting as a catalyst for behaviour change and inspiring people to make a difference. If you’re looking for a refreshing approach to gender bias, get in touch. It’s time to Squash.