As women continue to play strategic roles in various fields across the world, there is a renewed call for females to scale up their capacity for increased global relevance.
This was part of the deliberations at the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Victoria Island Chapter event in commemoration of the International Women’s Day themed Today’s Women: Influencing & Shaping the Future for Global Relevance.
Moji Oladele-Ojo, our Senior Business Development Manager, Human Capital Solutions, alongside other successful women across diverse spheres of influence, shared thoughts on how women can influence the future for global relevance.
Oladele-Ojo said females are to be raised with the mindset that spur them to challenge stereotypes and biases, and be encouraged to compete equally with men.
Using her personal experience as the only girl and the last born in the family, she said parents can train a child wholesomely when they apply discipline, but with love and respect. She stressed that raising children in the 21st century should be about the carrot and stick approach.
“Our generation seems to be more about the carrot and less of the stick. This is due to cultural imperialism, which is, adopting the Western culture and almost losing touch with our own reality. Instead, we are to establish ourselves and take the right decisions in child upbringing,” she added.
Onome Joy Adewuyi, President, Institute of Chartered Account of Nigeria (ICAN), said women should be strategically engaged to fully harness their potentials and make the world a better place.
Highlighting the important roles being played by women in the modern day world with examples of Nigerian women like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mosunmola Abudu and Chimamanda Adichie as well as historical figures like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Amina of Zaria, Adewuyi advocated for the education of the girl child, which will in turn lead to the education of the society.
Dr Abolanle Abolarinwa, the first Female Urologist in Nigeria, said women are beginning to level up in terms of numbers in various medical fields and mentioned some of the challenges women face in the medical profession.
Saudat Salami, MD/CEO, EasyShop EasyCook, said her business was born out of necessity, which was to proffer solutions to the problems a working woman face in balancing work and home. “I was able to achieve that with technology,” said Salami, who runs a Nigerian domestic support service that specialises in shopping services.
Also, Maryam Akpaokagi (Taaooma), popular Nigerian Comedian, stressed the importance of self-development, giving an example of how she taught herself to make video skits.