By Henry Uche
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Women Agenda in partnership with Peculiar Women of Hope, (PWoH) on Saturday brought together women from various walks of life to empower them on self-discovery.
The event, themed “Empower Her” was aimed to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to build and empower themselves and, in turn, empower other women.
The organizer, Comrade Bolaji Bayode, posited that empowerment goes beyond financial support; but it’s about building confidence, self reliance and resilience.
“We are taking them in different areas today, we have people from CAC, chartered accountant, health experts, etc. We want to explore them on different areas on how they can be empowered. Women should believe in themselves and trust in themselves that they can make it” she said.
Uchenna Ofomata, the Convener, said, the Peculiar Women of Hope is the gathering of women from different ethnic groups, religions, political parties, works of life, educated, semi-educated, professional, none professional, together with passion to help and give voice to the voiceless, victims and survivors of different kinds of challenges by creating an enabling environment to achieve their life aspirations.
She said the theme was chosen because they want to accelerate action on women’s empowerment, saying: “Women’s empowerment is a catalyst to an equitable, prosperous and sustainable world. So, it’s very important that we do work to empower women because when you empower a woman, you empower a nation.”
She urged women to discover their purpose and fulfill them, “There is more to you than just being you. You can be more than what you think you are. Women are talented. No matter how you see yourself, you have enough to soar. You are valuable. So, don’t let the world tell you less, or don’t let anyone tell you less of who you are. God made you for a purpose. Discover your purpose and fulfill your purpose. There is more to you than just being you.”
Ofomata called on individuals, organizations and government for support and collaboration so as to reach many women. “Our mission is to work with the vulnerable women, persons with disabilities, poverty and distress to improve their well-being and together create a positive change. To build the capacity of women in the form of entrepreneurship trainings and the provision for micro credit facilities to empower women to stand on their own, equipped with the capacity to contribute to the development in their various communities to maintain a sustainable livelihood in line of (SDG) improving coalitions among grassroots women.
“We are women supporting the development of fellow women and young girls in Oshodi-Isolo and the society at large. We are using this medium to call for support from individuals, organizations and government so we can reach many women out there” she affirmed.
Chinenye Gerald Onwuachu, Data analyst, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, acknowledged women’s impact in the society, according to him, women allways do well in whatever role they are assigned to, making references to Oby Ezekwsile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, among others.
He noted that every woman should be given the right to education because it has a way of uplifting them to their desired dreams. “Days are gone where a woman sits at home doing nothing. Every girl child should have the right to education because it’s the room for breakthroughs and even if some of the women are not privileged to go to school, they should empower themselves, learn skills that will make them independent. Men should also encourage and support the women” he urged.
Nancy Udochika Onuorah, Optometrist took the women on the importance of prioritizing their health especially their vision. She advised them to always wash their hands with soap and clean water to keep their eyes free from infections. “Handle contact lens with care, do not share your makeups items. When you look at your phone for 20 minutes, look outside for 20 seconds. Get your eyes examined at least once in a year” she implored.