Day women activists converge in Ibadan to press for feminine progress

In continuation of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, female activists from diverse professions and interests converged on Ibadan recently to advocate the need to press for progress in the fight for gender equality and help one another move forward in every area of life. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports.

Though March 8 is the established day for the celebration of the International Women’s Day globally since its recognition by the United Nations in 1975, women groups and bodies all over the world pursue the year’s theme all year round with a series of educative activities focused on a unified direction to guide and bring about collective action among women based on selected themes for the year.

And as activities lined up to pursue the theme of this year’s edition of the celebration continue to unfold; urban and rural activists converged in Ibadan for a conference aimed at encouraging each other to be focused on the advocacy for gender parity and empowerment of women.

The conference put together by a nongovernmental organization; the Human of Substance Empowerment Initiative (HOSEI), founded by a lawyer and right activist, Abiade Olanwale Abiola, in collaboration with the American Corner, Ibadan was themed, ‘Time ids now: rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives and total well being of a woman.’

The woman of substance conference 2018 was a deliberation on issues and challenges militating against the overall well being of the woman, ways to add value to womanhood and how to be bold in pressing for change in making the world a better place in line with the theme for the year.

For years, women across the world have been on a continuous fight to ensure that there is gender equality and parity while they fight all forms of indiscrimination against the feminine gender in a world that seems programmed to serve the masculine gender. Indeed, it has been a long walk to freedom in nations where women have been given a voice.

And to attain their ambitions of having a chance to attain their goals like their male counterparts without fear or prejudice, women had worked together; in advocacy, training and enlightenment for years to create a common front and speak with one voice all over the world.

The battle for equality has indeed been streamlined for the purpose of unity and synergy. This is the reason that women every year celebrate the global International Women’s Day with a specific theme to further inspire women in the pursuit of their goals.

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Speakers at the conference include the HOSEI founder, Abiade Olanwale Abiola , motivational speaker, Mrs Folorunso Ibibere, Chief Operating Officer of BethZion Ventures, Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare and Mrs Bukola Alabi, the Oyo State Coordinator of Network  of People living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN). All the lectures which were interactive were geared at bringing out the value in womanhood; the evolution in the rights of women, the education of the girl child, gender parity, role of feminism in making a difference and reproductive health issues as well as prevention of diseases and family planning.

The women were encouraged to break barriers that stand in their way, add value to themselves in a feminine way, take good care of their health, never lose focus and above all, learn to help each other to grow and attain their potentials.

Speakers encouraged them to defy all odds in contributing to their society and the world at large and not see advocacy for parity as a competition between the genders. Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare spoke about the misconception that feminism is a competition with men and emphasized the need for a re-orientation, adding that women have what it takes to achieve greatness in a feminine way as gender is not a limitation but an asset.

According to her, a woman can multitask and create diverse methods of getting tasks done in a legitimate way while using their brain, adding that most women fail to utilize their potentials.

Abiade Olanwale Abiola encouraged women to place premium value on themselves and introduce justice in child training as the fight for gender parity starts from the home and from parents. She explained that women need to interrogate cultures and avoid stereotypes as these factors serve as the major hindrance to achieving greatness, emphasizing that while there is an improvement in the way women attend to issues of gender parity, there is still too much to do especially in the area of reorientation, social and behavioural change.

Bukola Alabi spoke on the essence of women protecting themselves against diseases especially sexually transmitted diseases, standing strong and believing in themselves to have complete health and be a total woman. She encouraged them to draw on their inner strength as it will help them surmount challenges.

And as activists continue to reflect on the progress made, women were further encouraged not to be discouraged and never allow themselves to be looked down upon as useless beings.