Christian Agadibe
From her mother she realised there were no ceilings and, even if you find any, you work hard to smash them and move on. And, based on experience, she found out that the barriers only exist in the minds of women.
She believes that women only hide under their season, therefore, limiting themselves with the seasons.
That is Mrs. Glory Odejimi, a legal practitioner, founder of Strong Ties, a non-governmental organisation.
In an interview recently, she told Daily Sun that she struggled with barriers when she played the card that women were the weaker vessel.
Stirred by the plight of women with disabilities, Mrs. Odejimi has brought sunshine into the lives of many women who once thought they had nothing to offer.
Who inspired you and why?
I got my inspiration from my late mum. I grew up to see that being a woman should not limit anyone from achieving her desired goals. As women, our careers are in seasons. My late mum raised four kids and built a successful career. I saw her constantly review her priorities on different tasks at home and work to achieve a suitable balance.
Do women in your profession have a hard time getting promoted?
I have worked around the human resources space for about 14 years now and they get promoted. We have many female human resources heads that have grown to become leaders in their industry. I think we have more women in this profession in the room and they are owning their space.
As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?
I find that the barriers are actually in our minds as women. We hide under our seasons and limit ourselves with these seasons. As I mentioned earlier, that was what inspired me about my late mum. For her, there was no glass ceiling. Even when we see these glass ceilings, take a big enough stone and smash it through hard and work smart. I struggled with barriers when I played the card that women were the weaker vessel.
When you began your career years ago, did you imagine that you would get to this height?
I have always strived for the best in anything I do. The first few months in my career was a bit of a struggle for me. I was very careful trying to avoid making wrong decisions. As a lawyer who liked business and managing people, I didn’t know the exact career direction to follow. I had options of being an entrepreneur, legal or human resources professional. Looking back, I see that these combinations were very useful to my success. My legal background helped me to understand employment-related issues, while my entrepreneurship skills helped me to understand the business model in organisations where I have worked.
Do you experience resistance when you are leading men?
Some men with ego issues have a problem working under a woman. As a result, they don’t take orders and, in certain cases, try to contradict what their female bosses expect. I have experienced a few but I always try to be respectful towards colleagues both male and female. Also, I build collaborative teams. So, we work as a team achieving goals together, irrespective of who is leading.
What would you say about female celebrities becoming baby mamas?
If a man feels intimidated by the success of a woman and would not marry her, she has a right to start her own family the way she wants.
What is your take on opportunities for women in society?
Opportunities are out there for the taking. If women don’t reach out and take these opportunities, then they won’t have them. I don’t believe in someone handing out favours to women. I believe that women’s inclusion is about opening up options for both genders to compete.
Which projects have you been involved in both as a human resource professional and humanitarian?
I enjoy planning and coordinating. In the course of my career in human resources, I have worked both as a consultant and a full-time employee. I have done a lot of projects on planning and organising seminars and conferences for capacity-building. And, as a humanitarian, I have done projects on free training and coaching for women who, for one reason or the other, found themselves out of jobs, gradually becoming unemployable. We do projects to help integrate them back to the workplace and the marketplace. I have also done projects on empowering women with funds for business startups.
Which projects have excited you the most?
A project I called No Limits. It is for women living with disabilities. The programme helps break barriers and limitations to success.
What inspired your NGO to start assisting women with disabilities?
As women, we always feel that certain things hinder us from achieving and fulfilling our dreams. I enjoy helping women explore their hidden potential.
What are the challenges facing women with disabilities and how can society and government intervene?
It is all about inclusion. We need to see them beyond their situation. We have to give them the opportunity to explore their talents and also provide systems to enable them move around freely with their crutches or wheelchairs.
How does the foundation measure its impact over the years, in terms of women with disabilities?
We fix them into different groups and we have coordinators that have access to interact with us regularly. We usually go to their houses and shops to check on what they are doing and see how we can help them further. We usually have quarterly celebrations together too.
What are the challenges in terms fundraising to sustain these causes?
For fundraising, I think that banks should assist them with low-interest loans.
How was growing up? Was there any experience in childhood in line with what you have achieved today?
My late mum was a hardworking woman who was focused and determined to succeed. Those were some of the qualities I saw in her that made me to realise that nothing should prevent or stop us from fulfilling our dreams. We strive to grow and excel in whatever we decide to do.
What is your leadership style, especially managing women?
I adopt what is called transformational leadership. I use this to encourage them to develop their full potential, irrespective of their disability.
What is your advice to the next generation of female leaders?
They should always strive to deliver results, stay relevant and understand the operations of the business so as to become a force to reckon with in their field. They should endeavour to contribute value, display leadership, learn to manage relationships, and being politically savvy.