The Nation Newspaper

Tag: women

  • Why I promote women in art

    Ini Dan is a seasoned visual artist, who also loves music and stage concerts. He equally promotes women in the art as he reveals in this interview with Edozie Udeze

    What is the relationship between your profession which is the visual art and the sisterart?

    Thanks a lot for a question like this. Please permit me to first throw some light on what I do and what I am into. I do arts and entertainment.  I am a professional visual artist, and art teacher, as well as an event planner and manager.

    I am a graduate of Textile Arts and Painting from the Federal College of Education, and the University of Lagos, both in Akoka, Lagos.

    In the year 1999 I got into the Theatre Arts. Over the years, I got into doing music, production of television programs, and then event planning and management.

    I trained and worked under Mr. Tony Biyi Greenlyt of Theatre Centrik, Mr. Pius Okugbere, the producer of Royal Tears television series aka Master Story Teller, the late Chief Femi Robinson formerly of Village Headmaster, and also, Koffi Da Guru.

    All these knowledge and experiences acquired over many years of hustling got me into doing arts and entertainment. That also gave room for the establishment of Brotherart Productions an arts and entertainment company in 2007.

    #sisterART is a Global Visual Arts Family for Female Visual Artists from around the world.

    The creation of this Global Visual Arts Family could be best described with the saying that necessity is the mother of invention.

    In the year 2015, we Brotherart Productions started a live concert that brings the Visual Artists to perform and produce their artworks on stage with side attractions of performances from the musical, comic, theatre and other performing artistes. This event which was published in The Nation Newspapers on the 4th of October, 2015, was held in 2015 with a male visual artist performing on stage. In 2016 with a male visual artist, and 2017 with a female visual artist. In the year 2018, we decided to have a male and two female visual artists to perform on stage.

    In the process of putting together interested female visual artists who got our message via the social media, in June 2018, we created an online platform that will serve as a pool from where we will be selecting our female visual artists.

    More female visual artists got interested in joining this pool of female visual artists, and then it gradually metamorphosed into what we now have as the “#sisterART Global Visual Arts Family”.

    With this family, we are aimed at bringing together, celebrating, promoting, and projecting women in the creative industries. It was also created to serve as a platform for networking, education, as well as provide bountiful opportunities for social, cultural, and also economic, exchanges amongst these women. The platform also provided opportunities for us to pay special attention to these women in the creative industries, to discuss challenges they are faced with, offer possible ways of finding practical, realistic and workable solutions to these challenges, therefore giving them more voice, better representations, local and international exposures, and and most importantly, playing a very critical role in uniting the world using visual arts just as it has been done in sports.

    We will be having regular visual arts related events, and will be having collaborations with other genres of Arts, other sectors of the economy, as well as community services.

    To add to, these women are called mothers of creativity which is our slogan, and they are above a 100 at the moment from 12 different countries. These countries are Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Kenya, Colombia, Belgium, Serbia, India, Togo, and the United States of America.

    We are still growing in strength and number.

    At the moment, we are planning the #sisterART first international arts and cultural exhibition billed for 1st to 7th of June, 2019. The theme is strength of a woman.

    With these background information, I want to believe you will agree with me that there are many very important and strong relationships between my being a Visual Artist, and the #sisterART Global Visual Arts Family.

    Have you really abandoned painting for live theatre and musical concerts and shows?

    I have not, and I will never. I have been doing a lot of pencil portraitures, with less paintings and textile works. Aside portraitures, my major focus now is creating visual arts events for children and adults with fusion of the performing arts.

    In order words, I am also an arts promoter.

    What is the level of your artistic attainment in the contemporary art scene in Nigeria?

    As mentioned earlier, I am a graduate of Arts from the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, and the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos.

    I am the MD/CEO of Brotherart Productions, an arts, media and entertainment company, convener of the #sisterART global visual arts family for female visual artists, producer and project manager of ARTru concert and awards, ch-ART com which is child arts competition, and the #sistetART first international arts and cultural exhibition.

    I am also an executive member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State chapter.

    In the 2010 and 2011, brotherart productions partnered with the Ben Enwonwu Foundation and Phephe Planet Productions to plan and host the “Ben Enwonwu Foundation Young Artists of the Year” (BEFYART). This was a visual arts competition for Secondary School Students in Lagos State, Nigeria.

    More of these information could be gotten on www.brotherart productions.com.ng

    Your aim is to bring women in the art together. How successful has this been and what informs the choice of venue?

    Absolutely, my aim for #sisterART is using my platform (Brotherart Productions) to bring women in the Creative Industries from around the world together as a Family of Creatives.

    On how successful I have been, it really hasn’t been easy managing such number of women 90% of whom I have never met.

    I had so many issues in the beginning, and as events unfolded, I learned how best to manage them. Thank God for His wisdom, knowledge and understanding, coupled with my many years of experience especially in managing people. Members have come to see, understand, appreciate my dreams and goals for the family, and they have been very loving, cooperative and also supportive.

    We exist not just as an online group, but as A FAMILY. There is a strong bond amongst us all.

    Today we have over a 100 members drawn from 12 different countries. I am the only male in the family, and our members includes under-graduates, graduates, studio artists, art entrepreneurs, art teachers, lecturers and senior lecturers with doctorate degrees from the different higher institutions. The age bracket is from 18 to about 65 years of age.

    We are also planning our first international arts and cultural exhibition, and we will be using that to also mark our 1st anniversary as a family.

    To a very large extent, I have been very successful in putting the house together with the support of my members.

    On the choice of venue, in the early stage of the planning of the exhibition, we made findings on a number of venues, considering the uniqueness of the concept of the event, the standard of the venue, the kind of audience the venue attracts, the long and short term effects of such venue on the event, the cost of renting the space, and also the choice of members of the family, amongst others. Fortunately for us, we have come to establish a very good relationship with the management of Terra Kulture Arts and Studios Limited after settling down for Terra Kulture as venue.

    Have you ever been involved in any solo or group exhibition in Nigeria or elsewhere?

    I have not been involved in any solo exhibition in Nigeria and outside Nigeria, but I have been involved in a number of group exhibitions. In most of these exhibitions, I have been involved in the planning and hosting process. The last few include the 2017 and 2018 Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State chapter annual October Rain Arts Exhibition”, and heritage social cohesion “without past, no forward” visual arts exhibition and craft fair 2017 to 2019 at the Carnegie Art Gallery in Newcastle, KZN, South Africa.

     

  • Women dig for gold in dairy farming

    Over 900 rural women in Oyo State have carved a niche for themselves in the dairy industry. They are riding on the back of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc’s Dairy Development Programme (DPP), which engages Dutch farmers to train local pastoralists on modern dairy farming practices. The budding women entrepreneurs’ success, if replicated, will help raise the level of domestic milk production and create more jobs along the milk value chain. It will also give impetus to the Federal Government’s economic diversification, Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    Mrs Umu Abdullahi, a dairy farmer, in Iseyin, Oyo State, is in a joyous mood. When The Nation met her last week, she could not hide her excitement over the dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of her dairy business.

    The pastoralist, who once trekked long distances to sell local cheese, popularly called ‘wara’, made from raw milk crudely preserved at home, said she could now boast of steady income from a thriving dairy venture.

    “My family now makes steady income from selling raw milk from our cows,” Mrs Abdullahi said, adding that with more people coming to trade and live in the community,  sales have increased. “We also sell other things such as foodstuff to residents and transporters,” she added.

    She recalled that before her remarkable transition from unorthodox and subsistent dairy farming to a modern, commercially-driven one, she, with an estimated 900 rural women in Oyo State, had no hygienic means of preserving or processing their fresh milk.

    As a result, they only drank milk in the morning. The income from their ‘wara’ sales wasn’t commensurate to the effort they put in either. But the big break in their rather crude, unrewarding dairy businesses came in 2010 when dairy giant FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc chose Oyo State for the implementation of its Dairy Development Programme (DPP).

    The programme was aimed at helping Nigeria achieve self-sufficiency in milk production and consumption, and create jobs along the milk value chain. It was a unique business model where certified dairy farmers from The Netherlands were engaged to train and advise their Nigerian counterparts on best farming practices.

    Under the initiative, Dutch farmers train local pastoralists on dairy farming practices like animal health and welfare, farm record keeping, feeding and watering, calf-rearing, milking hygiene, cow fertility, hoof care, housing and barn design, among others.

    The overall goal of the multi-billion naira scheme was to sustainably develop the local dairy value chain by improving milk quality and increasing milk production on dairy farms, while also supporting the Federal Government’s Backward Integration Policy (BPP) aimed at building capacity in local manufacturing to reduce imports, create jobs and drive industrialisation.

    Since 2010 when the programme kicked off, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has been investing in the DDP by establishing a Milk Bulking Centre in Iseyin and a large network of functional Milk Collection Centres (MCCs) in Fasola, Alaga, Maya and Iseyin, all in Oyo State. It also set up 10 milk collection points and dedicated 15 specialised milk trucks to facilitate the process of milk collection in the DDP area.

    That was not all. The company, alongside its partners, also provided 50 solar-powered boreholes in the milk producing communities of Oyo State, completed over 200 hectares of pasture development, and trained over 3,500 dairy farmers/milk suppliers on various topics in modern dairy production.

    The facilities literarily worked magic, providing sustainable livelihoods to over 90 farming communities where dairy farms have been made more effective. Today, Abdullahi and other rural women dairy farmers in various Oyo communities in Iseyin, Fasola, Alaga, and Maya have been testifying to the immense social and lifestyle benefits that the DDP has brought their way.

    “I now belong to a women forum they encouraged us to form and join where we learn and discuss things of great benefit to us as women, another woman dairy farmer, who identified herself as Hawawu, told The Nation.

    She said before the programme came on stream, things were very hard. “But today, my life and that of my family is easier. I have even started an additional business of selling uncooked rice. I am happy.”

    According to Hawawu, the advent of WAMCO’s DDP has significantly improved her profit margin. “My profit has improved. Every day, after the cows are milked, we go and deliver the milk to the collection centres and the company (FrieslandCampina WAMCO) pays us money very promptly,” she said.

    The DPP, The Nation learnt, drew its strength from the signing and renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FrieslandCampina WAMCO and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as the Oyo State government.

    The dairy giant, which pioneered the programme, also collaborated with the Dutch Government and Sahel Capital. Its Managing Director, Mr Ben Langat, gave more details of the scheme’s milestones. His words: “Our DPP has supported four master farms where dairy projects are currently running and there are 16 more under development.

    “It has impacted over 100,000 people from raw milk supplies to the creation of job opportunities to host communities, for example – transporters, feed, veterinary supplies etc. This has engendered business development around the milk collection centres.”

    Langat said the DDP was the nucleus of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. According to him, it transfers over 140 years of FrieslandCampina’s global expertise to Nigeria, bringing gold-standard Dutch farming practices to the nation.

    “The DDP is the second chapter of our history and a new era for the dairy industry in Nigeria,” he said, noting that studies have shown that 95 per cent of farmers in Nigeria are nomadic and they face challenges such as lack of knowledge, poor infrastructure and low financing.

    The FrieslandCampina WAMCO boss added that the DDP stimulates local sourcing of raw milk and supports the Federal Government’s initiative of improving dairy farming. He said it also enables dairy farmers to run their businesses optimally as well as raise the quality and quantity of their dairy production.

    This, according to Langat, was done through knowledge-sharing, training courses and exchange programmes with a number of partners. He said across the 90 communities in Southwest Nigeria, various dairy value chain actors were identified and training organised for them.

    Raw milk was collected and processed. Funds were made available for crossbreeding and hybrid pasture cultivation.

    Langat also said the company facilitates an annual “Farmer2Farmer” programme, where certified Dutch dairy farmers train and assist Nigerian farmers in extension services and improved dairy farming practices particularly targeted at increasing the quality and quantity of raw milk production.

    To further promote dairy development in Nigeria, he said the company hosted Nigeria’s first “Dairy Farmers’ Day” in December 2017, with over 300 dairy farmers in attendance.

    The MD stated that the company was keen to institutionalise this event as a day of honour for dairy farmers, bringing together stakeholders from the public, private and academic sectors to develop and implement a long term and inclusive national development plan for the dairy sector.

     

    Dairy co-operatives

    as game changer

    The women farmers were grouped into two co-operative societies of 30 members each, namely: Fashola Women Dairy Co-operative and Alaga Women Dairy Co-operative. They were trained on entrepreneurial and leadership skills to increase their income and sources of livelihood.

    To further expand their revenue streams, the members were also trained on vocations such as bead making, fabric designs and dress making.

    FrieslandCampina WAMCO provided shops for them to sell provisions and other items to members of their communities. These forward-looking women were also empowered to sell in these shops milk products made from the raw milk they initially supplied to the milk collection centres.

    Families living in these DDP-enhanced communities use the potable water provided by FrieslandCampina WAMCO for milking, domestic and personal hygiene such as cooking, cleaning and drinking. Some of the women have made significant socio-economic progress; a good number of them have built houses and moved out of the thatched huts they used to live in.

    Indeed, one of the key successes of the DDP was the increasing appreciation of women farmers as game changers in the communities. The programme has grown new sources of income for rural women and they now have direct control over their income. There is also increased food security for rural families.

    Also, dairy products have become more available and affordable for these women and their families in the milk producing communities. More importantly, perhaps, the overall quality of raw milk supplies have improved, with bacterial contamination reduced considerably. Farmers’ competencies have increased as a result of sustained training.

    Langat confirmed that both the DDP and the dairy co-operatives have proven to be successful business models that encouraged grassroots economic development through milk production. He said they have also increased transactional activities and improved family lifestyles in the milk producing communities.

    He also said the private sector-led push, through backward integration, to raise the level of local milk production and create jobs, has helped his company to develop new capacities, policies and practices that benefit pastoralists, small-holder farmers and Nigeria’s dairy sector as a whole.

    But as hugely successful and rewarding as the programme may have been, particularly for the new crop of women entrepreneurs that have emerged, the challenge of sustainability remains. This is so because for now, FrieslandCampina WAMCO is the only dairy manufacturer, sourcing part of its raw milk locally through the DDP.

    The thinking, therefore, is that since the scheme bodes well for the Federal Government’s backward integration policy that encourages building capacity in local manufacturing to significantly reduce imports and create jobs, more dairy manufacturers needed to come on board to expand the scope of the programme.

    More importantly, the involvement of other manufacturers will help achieve Nigeria’s milk self sufficiency target. Currently, output of milk per cow per day in Nigeria is about 1 litre, compared to other African countries like Kenya and Uganda with between 30 to 40 litres of milk per cow per day.

    This, according to experts, is because Nigeria’s dairy sector is still largely characterised by cattle ownership, belonging to nomadic Fulani pastoralists. The pastoralists go for days on long distances to graze their cattle and look for pasture and water for them. This affects the quality and quantity of their milk.

    Besides, available statistics put the annual demand of milk in Nigeria at 1.1 billion litres. The estimated annual production is 400 million litres, leaving annual demand/supply gap of 700 million litres. This is clearly an opportunity for dairy companies as well as Nigerian dairy farmers to benefit as they bridge this sizeable gap.

  • WIMBIZ to women: Keep pushing through against all odds

    When you have a dream and a vision in your heart, just keep on going, don’t let the fact that you are a woman hold you back or the fact that the society is not supporting you, just keep on pushing”.

    These were the words of the Chairperson, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) Olubunmi Aboderin-Talabi at the 15th Annual Lecture of WIMBIZ which held in Lagos.

    The lecture which was themed “Balance for Better” was hinged on the 2019 International Women’s day theme. The topic of focus was, ‘Who Said So? Challenging the Status Quo…’

    According to Talabi, balance is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balanced employees, more gender-balance in wealth, sports coverage, among others.

    “Everyone has a part to play all the time, everywhere, from grassroots to activism to worldwide action; we are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance. Balance drives a better working world, collective action and shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key”, said Aboderin-Talabi.

    The keynote speaker, Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Terra Kulture and BAP Productions, Bolanle Austen-Peters delivering the lecture for the day, stated that there is never a right time to make a change and that women should not let the fear of failure hold them down. Sharing one of her mottos in life, she said, it was better to try and fail rather than not try at all. She also revealed that she refused to allow the negativity from failure get to her.

  • Women urged to maintain excellence

    Group Managing Director/CEO, UACN Plc, Mrs. Omolara Elemide has said that the real test to overcoming the challenges that women face in business is for the woman to apply her creative abilities and talents to ensuring all-round excellence and competence in all her undertakings.

    She spoke during The Business Club, Ikeja, March business luncheon with the theme Women in Business: The Challenges.

    According to her, this may be the cause of struggling or failing in business. “Personal and professional support systems are important to the success of women in business.  Women tend to face the greater challenges in getting support in business from issues such as poor networking, absence of mentors,   untimely financial support and emotional support.”

    She advised women to surround themselves with people who are strong in areas where she appears weak or have limitations. “It is more important to surround oneself with people who share similar goals and also necessary to recognize in others the strength we lack in ourselves.”

    “Businesses and business proprietors do not go looking for gender-based leader – they want performers and achievers with proven track record and history. The woman who aspires for this lofty height must be ready to play by the rules and expect no soft landings.  The woman must prove her mettle as an effective modern leader who requires a blend of the intellectual, strategic, creative, analytical, self-aware, empathic and ready to walk the talk!”

    Other challenges according to her includes; gender discrimination and stereotyping, balancing business and family life and fear of failure.

  • Women and Buhari’s victory as a call to action

    On behalf of Nigerian women home and abroad who are lovers of peace and believers in democracy, we congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

    This is indeed not an ordinary achievement for the majority of the Nigerian people to decide to keep faith with you despite our reputation for impatience. This speaks to the uncommon faith reposed in you as a person of integrity. I want you to know that your victory is not a referendum on what could have been achieved for Nigerian women in the area of representation and inclusion, rather it is more of a reflection of our belief in the great things you still have up your sleeves.

    You will recall that even your opponents agree that your 2015 victory was a watershed moment in our history that signalled a new beginning of great possibilities. Unfortunately, we have had less to celebrate in the area of women representation in your governance and the feminisation of poverty in Nigeria. Amongst other not so impressive statistics in the last four years, you nominated only six women out of 36 ministerial positions. This represents a paltry 16% as against the 31% of women representation in the administration before you.

    Particularly worthy of note are the millions of women across ethnic, religious and even class divide who voted for you in 2015 and have done same in the 2019 elections. While the data released by INEC on collected PVCs for the 2019 elections do not break down by sex, available 2015 presidential election voter turnout data shows that housewives were the third highest group out of the nine groups that voted. In 2015, 3,667,076 housewives voted in the presidential election, placing next to students 4,480,708 and civil servants 4,628,433. Similarly, housewives ranked third on the list of registered voters by group in the 2019 election. That fraction out of women’s vote represents 14.10 per cent of the total registered voters by group, next to farmers/fishers 16.23 per cent and students 26.57 per cent. This figure does not include the millions of women across the various other groups who make up the total votes from women.

    At a Women Political Aspirants Advocacy Summit organised last year by the National Council of Women Societies in partnership with the National Centre for Women Development, Women in Politics Forum and the Office of the Wife of the President of Nigeria, we were honoured and elated when you graced us with your presence and a speech, and despite the cynicism of a few that sat beside me about the timing and sincerity of support for increase participation, most of us believed you when you declared your support for the 35% Affirmative Act policy. 2019 is that time for you to deliver on that promise.

    Mr. President, as we anticipate your swearing-in for the second term, history beckons that you rise to the occasion and walk your talk by ensuring you lead the way in the implementation of the 35% affirmative action.

    Ethiopia under a man had a 50/50 gender balance cabinet to the applause of the global community. Today, a woman is steering that ship. Rwandan women make up 64% of its parliament, 50% of its cabinet and 44% in judiciary. Under your renewed leadership, Nigeria must reclaim and maintain its position as African giant.

     

    From Toun Okewale Sonaiya

    CEO Women Radio FM 91.7

     

  • Women threaten to go naked over harassment in Anambra

    No fewer than 100 women including widows from Ndiukwuenu community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, yesterday, stormed the state police command, threatening to go nude over alleged harassment by thugs and policemen in their area.  The protesters demanded immediate release of two of their husbands arrested by the police yesterday morning in the community.

    The names of those arrested by the police were given as Raymond Egwu, a Catholic catechist and Vincent Nwafor.  The women alleged that tear gas canisters were fired at them by men of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) making some of them to lose consciousness.   But a senior police officer, who did not want his name mentioned, denied the allegation, adding that the women had fruitful discussion with the OC CID.  The senior officer assured the women that their husbands would be released immediately. However, addressing reporters at the CID gate in Amawbia, the leader of the protesting women, Dorothy Onyebarachi, said they no longer sleep with their two eyes closed on a daily basis without one form of harassment from the police or thugs in the community.  Also, the Secretary of the women group, Priscilla Okoli, told reporters that the women had decided to go nude round Awka and it’s environs, if such treatments were not stopped by government and the police in Ndiukwuenu.

  • WOMEN IN FILM: THOUGHTS FROM ZUFF 2018

    AS more and more women continue to make significant impact in the male-dominated motion picture industry in Nigeria, there are indications their potentials are boundless, if limitations are eschewed.

    This was the position of discussants during a ‘Women in Film’ panel, at the last ZUMA Film Festival in Abuja.

    The forum with the theme, ‘African Women Telling Their Stories: The Challenges and Prospects’ was one of the most interactive sessions at the festival, as young and older women shared experiences on how their beauty is either placed above their brains, or how they are considered too weak a sex to take the front seat.

    The session had Spanish filmmaker Carbelleira Arantxa Aguirre as Keynote Speaker, and Dcns. Grace Gekpe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture as Special Guest of Honour, while panelists include notable broadcaster, Moji Makanjuola, filmmakers Edima Otuokon and Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, Cameroonian actress Kocabelle Mini, and actress Augusta Isaac.

    According to the Guest Speaker who represented former Vice President of Spain at the event: “Women are often seen in second positions which always puts them at a disadvantage.”

    Following the enthusiastic discussions thereafter, Aguirre asserted that the stories of gender bias are not peculiar to Africa, as women in the creative industry in Spain are faced with similar challenges.

    She urged women to ignore the limitations and focus on their goals in life, believing that consistency and ability to ignore distractions is key.

    Relating her experiences, Hajiya Fatima who said she developed interest in film right from secondary school, disclosed that, coming off her challenges, she had focused on lifting other women in the Kannywood film industry.

    She recalled that it was difficult in the past to get women to feature in her movies because actresses were either regarded as outcasts or prostitutes.

    The dream of Kocabelle of becoming an actress was achieved in Nigeria, having faced difficulties with the male folks in Cameroon. The ‘The Johnsons’ actress disclosed that she left Cameroon in 2012 where she was creative director in an advertising agency. She attempted being a writer in the Cameroon film industry, but said whenever she entered any of the offices, especially where men were the bosses, the conversations usually shifted to romance.

    She expressed regret that men she met were unable to look beyond her physical attributes as a woman, and see what could come out of her intellect.

    While in Nigeria, she decided to embrace acting, attended series of auditions and got her break in ‘Hotel Majestic’, purely on merit.

    Makanjuola also changed the narrative for herself as the only woman in the newsroom in her days as a young journalist.

    “Often times we speak to the limitations that women in film, broadcasting face. But i think we should dwell more on the strength and capabilities of women.”

    She recalled that back in the day, as the only woman in the newsroom, she used to be given women stories to write until she declined, saying she wanted to report politics, business, etc like her male counterparts.

    “As a result of this, I had been on donkeys, on my feet, in canoes to report events and places like other men. Women must find a way to showcase their capabilities. Until we start crossing the bridge for investment, we may not have women in the scheme of things. Until we begin to put out money where our mouth is, we may not move forward,” said Makanjuola who advocated for a consortium of women in the film industry to startup businesses and support other women.

    Makanjuola who partook in FESTAC 77 performances said, it is the strength, by women, to move forward that can salvage the gender imbalance. “There must be a deliberate move where people can invest voluntarily in women career interests,” she said.

    Emina spoke about the dearth of films by women at film festivals and the need to train more women creatives and invest in filmmaking.

    “Being the only woman in the room is an embarrassment in the 21st century,” she said, adding that her group is in talks with the Nigerian Film Corporation over an academy that is strictly focused on women, with a curriculum developed at the international level in areas of production, cinematography, animation etcetera.

    An actress, Augusta Isaac brought a fresh dimension to the discussion when she said some women throw themselves cheaply to the men, seeking undue favour, as most actresses now want to have it easy instead of working hard.

    Despite the criticism against men, there are indications that some male folks are working to correct the seeming imbalance.

    Reacting to the discussion, Chuks Mordi who runs a film festival abroad disclosed that 66 percent of films in his festival are by African women.

    “African renaissance is being spearheaded by women, and we must not continue to do things the same way,” he said.

  • ‘Women are better empowered with insurance’

    There is no financial plan that  empowers a woman better than an insurance policy, the Marketing and Customer Executive, Old Mutual, Mrs Alero Ladipo, has said.

    In a statement by the company, Mrs Ladipo said the company commemorates with millions across the world on the International Women’s Day (IWD), a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women globally.

    According to her, ‘’all genders are equally insured in the insurance space with same expectation in terms of compensation, which allows for a balanced society and further propels women to achieving greater goals.”

    Citing vehicle insurance for instance, Mrs Ladipo added that an insured female car-owner, who is incidentally involved in a road mishap is confident that her insurer will come through for her.

    She knows that with her insurance policy, the damages to a third party will be effectively repaired. She fears no harassment. Mothers who have dreams for their loved ones, irrespective of class or status in the society, can procure a unique savings plan that can help them realise their dreams, but also provide certain guarantees, which ensures that a beneficiary is not short-changed or prevented from reaching an educational goal. Such plans also afford them access to money in case of surprises or other emergencies, she said.

    She stated that Old Mutual is committed to promoting gender parity at all levels just as it is supportive of women in its workforce towards achieving career goals.

    She said: “The organisation in its support for women and the desire for a balanced society, launched the Old Mutual Women’s Network (OWN), a company initiative established to enhance healthy engagement amongst women and to create a mentoring and empowering work environment.

    “We must understand that women are pivotal to societal growth and are an integral part to the success of any unit. As an organisation, we have put adequate policies and processes in place to deepen equal gender participation in decision making at every leadership cadre across the Old Mutual Group. I make bold to say that Old Mutual is a fantastic place for women to work in Nigeria and across our group internationally.

    “We understand that women at all levels add extraordinary value to enterprise; are capable of making smart decisions that can propel wealth creation, hence their contribution to growth has to be in focus in setting strategies and business agenda. I believe that to promote a gender balanced society, the woman must be able to attain financial security like their male counterparts.’’

  • Rites Foods Ltd unites women

    Women they say are the ‘salt’ of the world! Which is the major reason Rite Foods Limited – RFL – has decided to make the month of March of every year the campaign time to create awareness for International Women’s Day, IWD, to bring a difference to the way the day is commemorated.

    In commemorating this year’s IWD, the giant food and beverage industry hopes to celebrate and unite  women all over the country and beyond on the 30th of this month at the Oriental Hotels, Lagos.

    You will note that International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 yearly. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights. Its history started from women gaining suffrage at Soviet Russia in 1917. Ever since then, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.

    According to the Managing Director of RFL, Mr. Saleem Adegunwa, despite Nigeria being a member of the UN alongside many other countries, women and girls who represent half of the world’s population are still subjected to all sorts of gender discriminative practices. “Unfortunately, there is still an extremely long way to go in achieving satisfactory equality of rights and opportunities between men and women. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to think equal, build smart and innovate for change, ending the multiple forms of gender violence and secure equal access to economic resources and participation in political life.”

    IWD is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries and communities.

    As of today, IWD is a public holiday in some countries and largely ignored elsewhere, which is all dependent on the level of recognition given to the female gender in such countries. It is a day of protest in others, it is a day that celebrates womanhood; again it’s all about respect to the fundamental rights of a woman.

    Little wonder Rite Foods Limited is specially going to celebrate women in two arms; the first is targeted at Rite Foods Limited followers on social media platforms: consumers of Bigi products ( Bigi & Rite Sausages,  Bigi Beverages, Bigi Premium Table Water and Fearless Energy Drinks ); and individuals interested in women empowerment, international women’s rights, women rights in Nigeria and IWD 2019. The target audience for this campaign cuts across a vast variety of people.

    The second arm of this campaign asides from the pre-event registration stage is the main event and it is targeted at women in the cocktail business in Nigeria, specifically the female Mixologist Association of Nigeria. These female vendors will display their mixology skills to attendees.

    The intent of this event, amongst others, is to target the afore-mentioned group of people and communicate the Rite Foods brand in a light which supports gender equality, leveraging on the IWD’s platform which is known for its affiliation to fostering peace and unity amidst gender disparity in countries across the globe.

  • Tinubu tasks women on governance

    Sen. Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday urged women to help and mentor each other to enable them hold more political positions in the country.

    Tinubu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that women in positions should mentor other women to enable more women get to the top politically.

    According to her, a woman who wants to aspire for an office, has to prepare herself and vie for positions.

    “You have to fight for power. You have to be on ground.

    “When officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) came during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, they met me at the queue at 9 a.m. which showed dedication.

    “It takes a lot of price and sacrifice to aspire for higher office; it is not about sentiments.

    “Why do we have too many males in managerial positions; women have to prove themselves to be able to appear.

    “People got to know me when my husband was a governor and I was the first lady. Every opportunity I had to serve, I took it seriously.

    “I see every opportunity as a call of God and I try to put in my best and I am not faint-hearted when it comes to hard-work,’’ Tinubu said.

    Read Also: Oluremi Tinubu: Giving new meaning to representation

    The senator said that the world was a free stage that any woman interested in governance could get on board.

    Tinubu said that she had never aspired to be a governor, saying that when her husband was a governor, by extension she had the opportunity to govern.

    She said that a woman would always find a way to live a balanced life while holding any political position.

    “When I wanted to run for my senatorial position, people asked me  how I would combine the job with my domestic obligations.

    “I have been able to prove this through hard work,” she said. (NAN)