What happens when girls lead

Have you ever asked yourself what happens when girls lead organisations, communities, or even countries?

The answer to this intriguing question was published in the recent special newsletter edition of Mentoring Assistance for Youth and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN) in its reflection of its third edition of the Oyo State School Girls General Assembly.

Held some weeks ago in Ibadan, under the theme ‘The Girl I Am. The Change I Lead’, the Oyo State School Girls General Assembly, offered girls, not just a rare platform to represent their schools as honourable delegates, but also the opportunity to see themselves not just as learners, but as leaders in the making, ready to speak up and shape the future.

From learning about child rights and self-advocacy to building confidence in leadership and communication, the girls blossomed into self-aware young leaders.

They learned what it truly means to speak with purpose and lead with confidence, and to see advocacy not as confrontation, but as clarity with confidence.

At the event, one honourable delegate said it best, “If we truly want a bright future, we must invest in the people who shape it.”

Furthermore, at the event, the girls spoke truth to power, questioned how the government and society perceive them, and demanded what they really deserved.

The event was a moving reflection of what happens when girls lead. Even the legal, government, and education stakeholders at the event attested to the things the girls can do with the knowledge they gained from the assembly.

One of the stakeholders said that the future is now, given the confidence the girls espoused. Another said, that from what she had seen the girls achieved, “What a man can do, a woman can do it better.”