Follow Us on Google
• discuss how prevention-centered AI could help secure justice and dignity for women
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, New York
National President of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) and wife of the Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria, Mrs. Olufunmilola Disu, called for stronger community-based partnerships to advance women’s inclusion and empowerment.
She made the call on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York, where she spoke at the Handshake Summit and Awards held at the UN Church Center.
Mrs. Disu joined global leaders and innovators at an event co-organised by the Semaform Foundation and ConcordeApp under the theme “Advancing Women’s Influence in a Changing World.”
The summit, described as a practical response to calls made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, focused on turning advocacy into measurable action.
Mrs. Disu, in her keynote address titled “From Intention to Alliance: The Architecture of the Global Handshake,” emphasised the need for global gender partnerships to translate into visible community development.
Other News
“POWA’s work is rooted in compassion, service, and community development,” she said. “My vision is to strengthen our impact by expanding partnerships, supporting initiatives that uplift women economically, and contributing meaningfully to national and global conversations around gender equity and community resilience. The handshakes made in rooms like this must translate into tangible support for the families and communities we serve on the ground.”
She drew attention to the importance of aligning international innovation with domestic realities—especially at the grassroots level, where community women bear the brunt of poverty and insecurity.
The summit, organized by Semaform Foundation and ConcordeApp, brought together over 200 participants, including government officials, technology entrepreneurs, and gender-equity advocates. The event aimed to unite artificial intelligence (AI) leadership and humanitarian influence to close the gap between policy pronouncements and practical empowerment.
Highlights included an AI & Impact Showcase led by Crystal Renouf, CEO of TheMothershp™, showcasing how prevention-centered AI could help secure justice and dignity for women, and a high-level panel on AI-Driven Climate Leadership and Women’s Prosperity moderated by Chaste Inegbedion of ConcordeApp.
Panelists such as ServiceNow’s Kome Igbogidi, M&T Bank’s Richard Ojuri, and Omniverse City’s Charlene Nichols explored how data-driven relationships and digital trust infrastructure could unlock capital for women-led enterprises.
The Handshake Awards Ceremony capped the evening, recognizing ten global figures—including Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, for advancing gender equality and national welfare.
The summit concluded with attendees formalising “Partners in Progress” commitments through memoranda of understanding, symbolising a collective pledge to turn advocacy into action.
