Rhoda Watson of US Consulate, Access Bank MD Herbert Wigwe, Mrs Remi Sonaiye Presidential Candidate of Kowa Party and US Ambassador to Nigeria Jeffrey Hawkins
The women’s history month program organized by the US Consulate in collaboration with Access bank was a huge success.The Managing Director of Access Bank made a brief opening speech before the program started
Firstly it was a privilege that I was invited to this powerful and one of the most important burning issues concerning women in the world today.
The discussion was tailored to giving women support and encouraging them to be what they want to be without any prejudice. In our African society women are actually deprived their rights to assume some certain post and responsibilities in politics, corporate world and are not well regarded like a male child.
Panelists
I must commend the organizers for having such a solid professional panelists in likes of Toyosi Akerele Ogunsip, Fela Durotoye, Adesuwa Onyenukwe and others for their contributions and their concerns over women and their dreams. A country can’t progress, if the women are not involved. Empower a woman and you empower a nation. Women should make the education of their children top priority because the success of any child depends on the mother’s input.
However Toyisi Akerele stressed that individuals should sustain their mentor, particularly older women mentoring the younger ones and the younger women should respect the older women.
In addition Fela Durooye spoke on the gender balance in all areas of profession because it has been notice that any organization whose work force has a large number of women do have better products and services .Women save better and they are good investors and managers.
Women should know their worth and demand their rights, they should not be afraid to walk away from opportunities when they are expected to compromise.
Another speaker discussed the issues and challenges confronting women in the society, giving example of Aba Women Riot of 1929, she said that women should have a united voice put aside their differences ,learn to synergize their resources to address issues concerning them. To aspire to attain common goals despite their cultural and ethnic differences. Women should learn and trust love and help each other. They should be catalyst for change help the less privileged rise above the marginalization and injustice in the society.
It was a fruitful discussion and the story of Chisholm Shirley was very inspiring to the teaming audience that attended the program,
Then the short movie “hear word” is a story we must take home because most rapist are relation of their victim’s not even strangers.
In all it was a very good forum to share experience and network. With people we met at the first time.
I want to thank the US Ambassador Jeffrey Hawkins for supporting this kind of contending discussion that hove around women all over the world and more importantly we must disseminate the information as wide as we can to touch and encourage women around us. WE SAY “WOMEN,MAKE IT HAPPEN”
