IWD: See men as propellers, not competitors- Women professionals

Professional women in different fields across the country have urged women and girls to stop seeing men as competitors but as propellers to achieving success in life.

The professionals who spoke at an event organised by MALhub Tech Innovation hub in partnership with Plat Technologies Limited in Ilorin, Kwara state to commemorate 2024 International Women’s Day, said equality between men and women was not possible, as everyone is unique on their own.

The panelists who spoke in line with this year’s theme of ”Inspiring Inclusion” said it was time the women folks know their worth and stop comparing themselves with men.

Mrs. Juliet Ronke Halawani, Founder, Evolve with Juliet, said inclusiveness should not be for women alone, but also for men.

She said regardless of gender, we should create a world where everyone can thrive and that we should have empathy in all we do.

”Everyone is going through a lot of things especially our men, so when you become the rich house wife we are advising you to be, don’t use it to oppress your husbands.

“We hardly celebrate men’s day. Cooking for husband and taking care of the children isn’t slavery. It is our duty to do so. The way we treat other gender matters a lot. Women should not compete with men at all,” she said.

Halwani urged women to be empathic with men, saying that the way they treat a man is the way they will be treated and urged them to treat men with love.

Another panelist, Mrs. Joy Kayode, a freelancer and Digital Entrepreneur, urged women and girls to know their worth and be self independent.

Mrs. Kayode added that women need to surround themselves with the right mentorship, to avoid self doubt.

”You can be a better version of yourself by monetizing your passion and keep on investing yourself as a woman, as that is the best gift you can give yourself,” she said.

Mrs. Kayode harped on the need for womenfolk to make use of digital platforms to create wealth and make themselves self reliant.

She also asked them to be well exposed and associate with people they can learn from, saying “don’t depend solely on men, women should keep investing on themselves. They should have right mentorship and stay focused on positive tracks”.

On her part, Hajarat Abiodun Alli, a Curator Wellness at Spa Pampering At Home, said women should strive to leave their comfort zone and blow their trumpet as no one else will do that for them.

She added that being multifaceted will expose one to many opportunities and being open to collaborations and constructive criticisms.

Alli asked women and young ladies to always volunteer for other women while carrying out programmes that would benefit children and womenfolk.

She asked them to know their worth and contribute positively to add value to womenfolk.

Miss Angel Ayokanmi, a Human Resources Manager at EVC, was of the view that women should stop thinking less of themselves and be confident of what they have to offer.

She explained that men of nowadays want women that are financially independent and ready to bring something to the table, not someone that will solely depend on them for their financial needs.

The Managing Director of MALhub Tech Innovation Hub, Kamaldeen Kehinde and Co-founder, Abubakar Sodiq, said the Tech company aims to launch women focus programme to empower women in technology for them to be self-reliant.

One of the participants, Marie-Claire Osun, a 100 level Food Engineering student at the University of Ilorin, said her take home from the programme is to blow her trumpet and have more confidence in her self and her digital work.

Another participant, Fauziyah Kukoyi, a business woman said with the experiences shared by the panelists, she will know her worth more and be open for collaborations.

IWD is a global event that celebrates women’s achievements in social, economic, cultural, and political realms, while also driving forward the cause of gender equality.

It inspires diverse activities worldwide, bringing communities together to recognise women’s accomplishments and champion their rights to equality.

It is celebrated on March 8 annually.