ALL FOR THE EMPOWERMENT
OF WOMEN
... Youth & Gender Network (YGN) blazed the trail, when
we organized a free conference and skills acquisition training
for women... The
event took place on Friday 16th May 2008, and will remain
indelible in the minds of women, who came from different
walks of life to attend. The theme of the unique event which
was in two parts, was "Empowering and Positioning Women
for National Development."
The first segment of the programme featured
powerful and inspiring seminars by a crop of seasoned speakers.
Kick-starting the event, the Executive Director of YGN Mrs.
Anuli Ausbeth-Ajagu in her welcome address, intimated the
audience about the effort YGN was making to empower and
enhance the lives of women and youths in Nigeria, through
our various enlightenment and advocacy programmes. According
to her, the women conference was specifically packaged to
empower and build the capacity of women.
The first seminar facilitator was Mary Lou
Johnson-Pizarro, the U.S. Consulate General who spoke on
the "Role of Women in Peace Making and National Development."
In her paper entitled "She Got Game," Mary Johnson-Pizarro
passionately spoke about what women needed to do in order
to succeed. She summarized GAME as an acronym for G - Guts,
A - Achievements, M - Men, Money and a motivating message,
while E - stood for Ethics.
Continuing the seminars in an up-beat manner,
Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, the Chairperson of Nigerian Institute
of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos, spoke on the theme "Women
And the World of Work... Imperatives of Career Development
and Financial Empowerment." Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun,
who spoke in a forthright manner, challenged the women to
look beyond their callings as mothers and wives, to becoming
women of substance, professionals to be reckoned with in
the society. This she said will be possible, if women focus
on their area of competence.
Next in line was Dr. Ndi Okwuosa, the Medical
Director of Golden Cross Hospital, who spoke on "Maternal
and Personal Health Management for Women." Drawing
from his wealth of experience as a medical doctor, he said
malaria, the number one killer disease in Africa, also happens
to be the leading cause of maternal deaths. He counseled
women to ensure that they get proper health care during
pregnancy and delivery. He also emphasized on the need for
regular check-ups, to ensure early interventions in diseases
like cancer, which if detected early, will enhance treatment
and survival for victims.
The last facilitator at this session was Mrs.
Sylvia Shinaba, Chairperson of International Federation
of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Lagos State Chapter. She spoke
on "Women's Rights, An Overview." Drawing from
her experiences on the field as a women’s rights lawyer,
and citing several real life case studies, Mrs. Shinaba
examined several instances where women's rights had been
infringed upon. The challenge she said, was mainly in the
family where issues like domestic violence, rape and disinheritance
of women are often trivialized. She advised women to be
at alert, know their rights, speak up and seek for help
and intervention from relevant bodies.
The first session of this inspiring conference
ended with a tea break. Thereafter, there was a presentation
of the play 'Nwanyibuife,' a drama in English which when
translated means "a woman is to be reckoned with,"
written by Anuli Ausbeth-Ajagu, and performed by the French
Village International School, Lagos. The Play, which chronicles
the challenges of womanhood and the way forward, was very
apt and relevant to the women empowerment conference.
The second part of the conference also featured
four practical skills acquisition workshops, which held
simultaneously, with delegates breaking up to be part of
the workshop of their choice. The workshops included "Make-up,
Look Good and Stand Out," facilitated by Mrs. Chidinma
Ukonu, CEO of Divine Looks. There was also "Beads-making
for Self and Sale," facilitated by Mrs. Fidel Chimezie,
President of NIMPRO. Mrs. Yetunde Ifebogun, CEO of Blooms
Soft Furnishing facilitated the 'Interior Decoration' workshop,
whilst Mrs. Betty Akinola facilitated the workshop "Cooking
to Win Your Family Friends and Clients." She taught
the participants how to make a variety of sandwiches, salad
and fruit kebab.
The workshops were practical and geared at
practical skills acquisition.
The Executive Director of Youth and Gender Network, Rev
(Mrs.) Anuli Ausbeth-Ajagu spoke on The Millennium Development
Goal (MDG) 3, which is "Promote Gender Equality and
Empower Women." She highlighted the eight millennium
development goals, and also emphasized the importance of
women empowerment, concluding that if women are empowered
and gender equality enforced in the society, it will help
in the quick attainment of all the millennium development
goals because women are agents of change and influence.
Organizations that supported this powerful
conference included the British Council, Macleans (GSK),
Maggi (Nestle Foods), Dugo Signature and Human Rights Information
Network (HURINET). |
