A women centered initiative, 50shadesofbeeba, on Friday empowered a group of women in Ibadan on self-discovery in commemoration of 2024 International Women’s Day.
The Convener, Habibatullah Muhammad Thani, while speaking during the programme noted that gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge.
International Women’s Day is observed annually on March 8 as a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Habibatullah, a Creative Fashion Consultant, reiterated that investing in women remains a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies.
According to her, achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if prosperous economies and a healthy planet is to be achieved.
“Our message is clear: women and men must enjoy equal opportunities, choices, capabilities, power and knowledge as equal citizens.
“Equipping girls and boys, women and men with the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills to tackle gender disparities is a precondition to building a sustainable future for all.
“The world is facing many crises, ranging from geopolitical conflicts to soaring poverty levels and the escalating impacts of climate change. These challenges can only be addressed by solutions that empower women.
“By investing in women, we can spark change and speed the transition towards a healthier, safer, and more equal world for all”.
She said that the aim of the programme was to create unity among women by coming together to give birth to great things that could move society forward.
Also speaking, the Director of Trade, Oyo State Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Cooperative, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Adesina, said that the administration of Gov. Seyi Makinde has done a lot by including women in his cabinet.
She noted that women need to push harder and be encouraged to have a good ratio of space in appointments and other opportunities.
She urged women to always respect their husbands and avoid abusive relationships that could lead to depression or affect their mental health.
Similarly, a Life Coach and Lead Consultant, Sunflower Home Essentials, Mrs Kaothar Agbaje, said that both men and women need to fit into their spaces to achieve gender equality because of differences in the strengths of each gender.
“If the men in the society are doing what they are supposed to do and the women are taking their position we will achieve better progress than for us to say we want equality.
“Women need to be each other’s safe spaces, have a voice and encourage each other, inspire, ignite empowerments and nurture unity, “she said.
Agbaje urged women to continuously strive to self-discover themselves through reading to awakening the genius in them to start doing things differently and make decisions based on informed opinion.
On her part, Mrs. Ebunoluwa Akinwale, CEO, NaturesTreat CAFE, urged the young girls experiencing pressure from parents or outside the family to always look for credible mentors who can help them out without being rude to their parents.
One of the participants, Miss Temiloluwa Oyeniyi, member of the Oyo State Youths Parliament, said that the programme has exposed the participants to the quality, power, force and the gifts they possessed as women to help them understand and discover themselves.
“Self discovery helps to understand that everything revolves around you as a woman, the decisions start from you, whatever you do is about you and accomplishments from your activities still come back to you.
“If we can go out there to let people know that they need to understand and discover themselves first before dabbling into a relationship or career, the world will be a better place, “she said.
The event featured, exhibition of creative works,panel sessions, lecture, career talk and mentorship among others.
