close
Women Times

Special Report

Chat RoomSpecial ReportTrending

Women in Agile Africa Set to Hold Conference to Bridge Digital Skills Gap

by Women Times on

In its bid to foster equality and inclusion in the agile community, Women in Agile (WiA) Africa has concluded plans to host the Women in Agile (WiA) Africa conference slated to hold from 27th to 29th January 2022.

The organisers made the announcement at the press conference held recently at Chemline House – Training and Event Centre, Lagos.

The aim of the virtual conference is to create awareness and explore innovative opportunities for Africans by advancing Agile values and principles, and creating a safe space for networking and skills development while at the same time empowering women.

The 3-day conference is with the theme “Uniting & Transforming Africa Across Agile” and would be hosted in French, Portuguese and English Language. Also, it is a free to attend event but registration is compulsory via https://womeninagile.org/wiaafrica/

Emphasising on the importance of the conference, Mercy George Igbafe, Founder of Learntor, a digital capacity building outfit, said “As part of the efforts to help bridge the digital skill gap, and with support from a number of organisations, we are holding the Women in Agile (WIA) Africa conference. The three-day event is virtual and it has a theme: Uniting and transforming Africa across Agile, and it is free for participants but registration is compulsory.

“Our aim is to create awareness, exploring innovative opportunities for Africans by advancing Agile values and principles and creating a safe space for networking, developing new skills, sharing ideas and flourishing together,” she stated.

Also speaking on the forthcoming event, Bisi Alimi, Business Analyst, said the changing environment demands tech skills to match work that is available, adding that opportunities the conference comes with will help bridge the gap.

Similarly, the President of Junior Chambers International, JCI, Wale Bakare, said collaborating with Learntor on the WIA Africa conference would help expose more youths to the latest trends in the digital world.

A veteran Nollywood actor, Fred Amata pointed that age is not a barrier to learning new skills and urged women and others to attend the conference.

Women in Agile Africa Conference 2022 is dedicated to creating awareness, exploring innovative opportunities for Africans by advancing Agile values and principles, and creating a safe space for networking, developing new skills, sharing ideas, and flourishing together.

The organisers explained in a statement that “Agility is the ability to change quickly, taking into account previous experiences, adapting, and improving continuously. So, imagine an Africa that is transforming, renewing itself based on its history, through adaptation and continuous improvement.”

Noteworthy, Women in Agile is a nonprofit and collective effort to recruit, network, promote and support the work of outstanding women in the agile community through blogging, speaking at events, and building a network surrounded by people of all genders.

Basically, the Women in Agile community drives toward equality and inclusion of diverse representation, expertise, and involvement in the agile community. Its values the representation of diverse ideas and perspectives within the agile community, and believes everyone is better off when more ideas are openly shared. Also, Women in Agile enables diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

 

read more
Special Report

It’s Time For Women To Speak Up For Women-Sanwo-Olu’s Wife

by Women Times on

…Leads COWLSO’s Awareness Walk Against Domestic Violence

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Saturday led members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) on an awareness walk against domestic violence, with a call on women to speak up in defence of other women.

The awareness walk, held on the major streets of Alausa, Ikeja, is part of activities heralding the forthcoming National Women’s Conference (NWC) of COWLSO scheduled to hold from October 26 to 28, 2021 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

During the walk, COWLSO members displayed placards of various inscriptions such as “Shun Gender-based discriminations; Use your words, not your fist; Blame the rapist, not the victim; The Lagos woman is an awake woman; Ji, Ma Sun; Security is everyone’s business, be vigilant; Speak up, seek help, stay safe; It should not hurt to be a child. End Child Abuse; Say no to drug addiction; We say no to terrorism, kidnapping, banditry; stop rape; We have no other country, let’s defend the country we have,” among others.

Speaking in an interview during the walk, the First Lady said it was about time for every woman to look out for the welfare of other women and inspire others.

“The essence of this walk is like a clarion call for all women all over Nigeria. The theme of COWLSO NWC this year is Awake. It is a call for all women so that they can wake up; wake up to be a voice to the voiceless; to ensure that the economy moves forward; to not think that they don’t have a role to play.

“Every woman, whether you are a housewife, whether you are a professional, whether you are a career woman, whether you are a student and so on, we all have a role to play. So, it is about time we awake from our slumber; we lift each other up; we inspire other women. This is the essence of what we are doing,” she said.

L-R: Wife of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat; First Lady and Chairman, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Wife of Rt. Hon. Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Olusola Obasa; Chairperson, COWLSO National Women’s Conference Planning Committee, Mrs. Nkem Sofela, and other COWLSO members, during an awareness walk on the conference against domestic violence in Alausa, Ikeja

She added that the walk also aligns with the theme of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child celebration, which was commemorated on October 11.

“The theme for the International Day of the girl child has to do with digital awareness and so for our women, whether you are a market woman or not, this is the time we must all become tech-savvy; this is the time we should align with the ‘Z generation’; this is the time we need to speak up; this is the time for every woman whatever you are doing, wherever you are, you need to lend your voice and help to inspire other women out there,” Sanwo-Olu said.

read more
Special Report

WIMBIZ celebrates Legacy@20, Launch Conference Details

by Women Times on

Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) has announced plans to mark its 20th anniversary and annual conference. The 2021 conference aptly themed “Celebrating Legacy”, has an interesting line-up of iconic events and legendary personalities to grace the week-long celebrations specially curated to spotlight the non-profit’s 20-year contribution to elevating the status of women in Nigeria and Africa.

For the first time in the history of WIMBIZ, five pre-conference events will be rolled out to commemorate this 20th anniversary: Legends Ball, Art and Fashion Exhibition, Golf Tournament, Virtual Masterclasses and a special edition of its Big Sister (a corporate social responsibility programme).

Chairpersons for the main conference billed for the 4th and 5th of November, 2021 are Chief Folake Solanke, CON–Nigeria’s first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)and the Chairman/ Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers –Lady Maiden Alex Ibru, MFR.

The Chairperson of the Executive Council WIMBIZ, Ngover Ihyembe–Nwankwo at a recent briefing stated thus, “We are excited to reflect on the WIMBIZ story and our journey thus far, it has been an awesome run; but where do we go from here? We are still very challenged. When we look at the numbers of representation, particularly in politics, we are still significantly underrepresented. So, on the one hand, we are celebrating progress, on the other hand, there is still a lot to be done. We encourage everyone to join us so we work as a collective to build a new narrative for women. The power is in our hands, she enthused.

Speaking to the WIMBIZ legacy and its impact on the wider community, Hansatu Adegbite, Executive Director, WIMBIZ, said, “WIMBIZ is focused on nation building and one person or group can’t build a nation, we all have a role to play in the development of our nation especially as it concerns gender parity and inclusivity.”

Also confirmed for the Conference are Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Economist and Founder, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Atedo Peterside, CON; former Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, as well as Founder, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (now GTCo) and FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola.

The 20th WIMBIZ Anniversary and Annual Conference will tell the stories of pacesetters and celebrate women who have shattered ceilings, overcome adversity, broken stereotypes, enabled empowerment and created opportunities for all.

read more
Special Report

Technology will accelerate growth on African continent – Juliet Ehimuan

by Women Times on

The Director, Google West Africa,  Juliet Ehimuan stressed the need for businesses to be digitally surveyed as technology is breaking barriers, norms in the business world.

This was said at the day 1 of the 4th edition of the International Advertising Association (IAA) conference, slated for 28th and 29th of September, 2021. The conference theme is: “Africa to the World”.

Juliet noted that technology is powering the rise in the field tech industry, reducing barriers, breaking norms for small and medium enterprise and also creating new models for credit scoring and accessing credit which is making a huge difference in the way of doing business.

Speaking on the title of her section “The role of Technology in Accelerating Africa’s Growth”, she said the rise in e-commerce is controlled by upgrade in technology from the customer engagement perspective because more organisations are able to keep their businesses running by creating alternative channels. They engage with customer from either mobile or other devices using Apps, online stories, social profiles, online videos and more.

Her words: “Technology is becoming the main frame in driving customer acquisition and retention. Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly used to enhance performance experience across the African continent.

“From a supply chain perspective, we are also seeing technology being used to unbundle and optimize supply chains through logistic planning. The upgrading in technology is starting to degrade the traditional sectors and creating more markets such as Agritech where the entire value chain has been opened up to facilitate B2B and B2C trade.”

Explaining that technology and business cannot be discussed without mentioning the digital economy, she said: “When talking about technology and business growth we must talk about the digital economy which captures the impact of digital technology on patterns of production and compulsion, including how good and services are marketed, traded and paid for. It basically refers to the broad way of economic activities that use the digitalized information and knowledge as key factors of production, and we have seen a lot more growth and contribution of digital to overall economic growth.”

She continued: “Why is this important? It is for two reasons: growth and value creation. From the growth perspective when businesses disrupt and enter the digital economy, we see that road to trajectory quickly changes and we see a lot of acceleration. Past records have shown continuous growth in the digital economy globally which in most cases grow even more than the total economy.”

Speaking on how the pandemic forced businesses to embrace the digital world, she said the digital economy recorded a massive growth as the value added grew at an average annual rate of 9.9% year from 1998 to 2017, compared to 2.3% growth in the overall economy, another increase in business value creation.

On the role technology has played in contributing to growth in Africa, Ehimuan said: “Africa is not left behind because increasingly, we have businesses that have entered the uniform team. While investment in most sectors is declining, tech based investments are growing; examples of these tech based companies are Flutterwave and KUDA.”

She argued that the success of the digital economy requires robust infrastructure, content & apps, Digital Literacy, Enablers i.e. developers, technology companies and enabling policy environment.

“The future is a technology-enabled one and technology is key to accelerating growth on the continent,” she concluded.

read more
Special ReportProfileWomen of Substance

Times 100 names Okonjo-Iweala as one of its 2021 World’s Most Influential People

by Women Times on

TIME100 franchise that recognizes 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of entertainment, health, politics, business and more, has named Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General (DG) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

According to Time’s Editor-in-Chief and CEO, Edward Felsenthal, the magazine chooses its most influential people by looking for “extraordinary leaders” who strive to make a better future.

“They are disrupters, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers, people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray,” Felsenthal wrote in the magazine.

Commenting on her win, Okonjo-Iweala said it’s a privilege to be on the cover of Time Magazine.

Her social media post read: “Honored and privileged to be on the cover of Time Magazine and to be recognized as one of the world’s Most Influential leaders! Profound thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their kind words. All Glory to God.”

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wrote in the post accompanying Okonjo-Iweala’s selection: “What will it take to vaccinate the world? Unity, cooperation and leaders like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”

Other Nigerian activists, advocates and philanthropists fighting for equality and justice on the list are: #EndSARS activists Feyikemi Abudu, Odunayo Eweniyi, and Damilola Odufuwa.

Source: Time100

read more
Special Report

For Every 4 Persons Suffering from Substance Disorder, 1 is Female- CADAM Matron

by Women Times on

Nigeria is on the brink of an epidemic as far as substance abuse is concerned as available statistics show that the global prevalence average for substance use is 5.6% whilst Nigeria’s prevalence rate is 14%- almost triple of the global average. This was revealed by Mrs. Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Matron of Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry (CADAM)-a non-governmental organization that caters to the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals who have overcome drug abuse.

Mrs Adeboye made this revelation over the weekend at the graduation ceremony of the 49th set of CADAM beneficiaries held at the Enoch & Folu Adeboye Rehabilitation Centre at Araga, Epe, Lagos. The 49th set had a total of 36 people -31 male and 5 female.

Further speaking on the occasion, she said, “We are all gathered here today to witness the faithfulness of God in the lives of these 31 men of honour and 5 virtuous ladies as they graduate from here to return to the society fortified by the teachings and guidance they have received here.

“I am a proud Mother today to these beautiful children of God and a witness to what God is doing in the lives of any beneficiary that steps in here, their families, CADAM itself and the society at large. We all know that substance abuse disorders have ravaged our Nation and this unfortunate situation is clear reminder that all hands must be on deck to save our youths from destruction as well as the soul of our nation.

“This is one of the reasons that the General Overseer of the Mission, Pastor E.A Adeboye as a Patron, is committed to the activities of this ministry. This also has caused me to take this ministry under my wings to assist in every way possible to achieve its purpose and objectives. I thank God daily for all the members of the Board of Trustees and especially the Chairman, for their commitment to make this ministry an international organisation in the treatment and rehabilitation of people with substance use disorders,” she said.

She added, “Today, we will be bidding these 36 persons farewell as they re-join their families and the larger society. My prayer for them as always is that our Lord will keep them safe as they walk the narrow path of faith and righteousness. May they never return to their vomit but go to perform exploits living drug-free independent and productive lives.

Earlier, while welcoming guests and congratulating CADAM graduates, Anthony Aletor who is Chairman of CADAM and Vice Chairman, Capital Express Assurance Limited expressed his gratitude for the occasion and the success of CADAM. “We thank the Almighty God for the opportunity of even having this ceremony to send forth to the outside world, 31 Men of Honour and 5 virtuous ladies to begin a new lease of life, despite the challenges of covid-19 pandemic.

“There’s no doubt that CADAM in its 30 years of existence, has contributed to the successful treatment and rehabilitation of 3000 beneficiaries, most of whom are now living productive, independent and drug-free lives in various areas of human engagements and are indeed happy to witness another send-forth,” he revealed.

Commenting on the achievement of CADAM in recent years, Aletor revealed that CADAM now has a Head Office located at Agidingbi which makes it possible to receive dignitaries from NDLEA and other accredited drug related agencies as well as provide counselling services. He added that the NGO has increased its capacity and reach with the addition of directorates, the appointment of a DG as well as other measures that will ensure that it operates across the 36 states, the FCT and beyond Nigeria to ensure a drug free world.

“This we intend to do by ensuring full commitment to our five-year strategic direction which includes the desire to have regional offices in the 6 geopolitical zones and more rehabilitation centers across the country, whilst working with some state Governments to help them manage their drug problems and initiating more social awareness programs on the national drug problems through radio and TV programs with the help of many organizations,” he revealed.

read more
Special Report

WATER AID: International Women’s Day 2021 Charity Photo Session

by Women Times on

WATER AID has brought together 9 beautiful women from a spectrum of fields in Nigeria to commemorate International Women’s Day 2021 with a charity photoshoot session.

The 2030 agenda pledge to leave-no-one-behind is manifest in this unit of women who represent every woman across Africa and beyond.

It is our priority to renegotiate our stake in this new and unfolding world post-COVID, and to amplify how unity in leadership allows us break more glass ceilings and achieve more.

We #ChooseToChallenge pervasive stereotypes which groom women to the idea that we do not work together for mutual good and are instead in constant competition to bring each other down. These ideas are not true and are just one of the issues which must be highlighted for emotional strength and sustained advocacy.

In addition, this IWD social impact campaign which is fuelled and driven by women passionate to further propagate our voices is evidence that women do work together. And very well too.

As we intentionally support and celebrate women; indigenous female-owned/managed businesses collaborated to capture this compelling story.

We thank all the ladies here for their commitment, enthusiasm and determination to make a difference for women here in Nigeria & beyond listening to us, and working with us.

 

read more
Special Report

Facebook Launches ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’

by Women Times on

As part of its celebration around International Women’s Month, Facebook today announced the launch of ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’, a collection of beautifully inspired stories & life advice from 19 women who are breaking boundaries in fields such as media, entertainment, politics, education and business.

Available for free in digital and physical formats, the book provides inspirational real-life stories for future generations and young leaders. Each chapter focuses on a personal experience and life lesson around how these women have navigated their path to success, alongside the challenges they have had to overcome along the way. ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ is aimed at encouraging, inspiring and guiding the reader – no matter the background, age or ambition.

‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ follows on from the successful 2020 launch of ‘Inspiring #Changemakers: Lessons from Life and Business’ in South Africa. This 2021 book is further brought to life through a series of beautifully illustrated artwork specially commissioned from four female artists from across the continent – Massira Keita from Côte d’Ivoire, Lulu Kitololo from Kenya, Karabo Poppy from South Africa, and Awele Emili from Nigeria.

With over 5,000 copies printed, the book will be provided for free to a number of Facebook’s local training partners including She Leads Africa, Fate Foundation, DigifyAfrica, Siyafunda, Smart Ecosystems for Women and cCHub. These will be distributed across 15 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Senegal and Kenya – in schools and to beneficiaries of training(s) offered by Facebook partners.

NunuNtshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa, said: “At Facebook we know that African women are at the helm of shaping the future of our promising continent – they are changemakers, mothers and CEOs. This book is a celebration of just some of the exceptional African women who in their own right are trail-blazers, motivating and inspiring people and advocating for good across Africa, and the world. We’re excited about their individual stories, inspired by challenges they’ve endured and how they’ve risen above these, and importantly how they’ve turned these into important life lessons to help inspire others.”

The women featured in ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’, include:

  • Tara Fela-Durotoye – Entrepreneur and CEO [Nigeria]
  • Elizabeth Akua Ohene – Journalist and Politician [Ghana]
  • Hawa Sally Samai – Founder, CEO and Campaigner [Sierra Leone]
  • Saran Kaba Jones – Founder and CEO [Liberia]
  • Temi Giwa-Tubosun – Founder and CEO [Nigeria]
  • Baratang Miya -Tech entrepreneur and CEO [South Africa]
  • Dr Judy Dlamini – Entrepreneur, Author and Philanthropist [South Africa]
  • Yvonne Okwara – Journalist and News Anchor [Kenya]
  • Tecla Chemabwai – Athlete and Educator [Kenya]
  • Alice Nkom – Lawyer and Human Rights Activist [Cameroon]
  • HindouOumarou Ibrahim – Global Activist [Chad]
  • Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu – Founder and CEO [Ethiopia]
  • Lelemba Phiri – Entrepreneur, Investor, Educator [Zambia]
  • Vanessa HauMdee – Media personality, Musician and Podcaster [Tanzania]
  • Monica Musonda – Lawyer, Entrepreneur and CEO [Zambia]
  • Kalista Sy – Showrunner and Screenwriter [Senegal]
  • Noella CoursarisMusunka – Model and Philanthropist [Democratic Republic of the Congo]
  • Samantha ‘MisRed’ Musa – Media personality, Social Influencer and Philanthropist [Zimbabwe]
  • DjamilaFerdjani – Doctor and Entrepreneur [Niger]

This March marks the three year anniversary of Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness programme in Sub-Saharan Africa, an initiative designed to inspire, empower and train female entrepreneurs across the continent to build, grow and start their own businesses. As part of this, Facebook is launching a new training component on business resiliency through financial education in Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal, with the additional modules aimed at improving female business owners’ financial management skills, whilst addressing challenges that women entrepreneurs face, such as access to capital.

To download the book visit:

https://issuu.com/ideaengpr/docs/lead_hers_-_life_lessons_from_african_women

read more
Special Report

Tech4Dev, Microsoft Empower Women In Nigeria With Tech Skills

by Women Times on

Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative, Tech4Dev, is a Nigerian non-profit organization working with Microsoft to skill more women with tech skills.

The partnership program with Microsoft Nigeria has seen women trained in coding and deep tech skills.

Through an experiential learning initiative called the Nigerian Women Techsters.

With partners like Microsoft we have been able to train 2475 women across 12 states in Nigeria for free, says Diwura Oladepo, Executive Director Tech4Dev.

Nigerian Women Techsters takes women from varying backgrounds through a cohort of 12 weeks.

Training them in coding and analytical skills. As well as exposing them to available employment and entrepreneurship opportunities within the technology space.

The digital skill tracks covered include, web and mobile application development, games development and embedded systems.

Fatima Ahmed a participant of the Tech4Dev Nigerian Women Techsters program shares her experience.

Fatima is a chemistry graduate from the University of Ilorin. Like many other Nigerians, she couldn’t get any job after her national youth service program. She recalls a friend telling her about the opportunities in tech.

“Coincidentally at that time another friend told me about the Nigerian Women Techsters program. Where she learnt how to code and build websites. Seeing what she could do i was motivated to apply.”

She shares gaining technical and soft skills. Learning how to code and build websites, communicating effectively and working in teams.

“I thought i was just coming to learn new skills and go back to apply for jobs. But during the training, i started getting job opportunities. Today, i work as a technical support engineer at Tek Experts, where i provide cloud-based solutions. I am glad i took a bold step to come for the Nigerian Women Techsters training.”

 

 

 

Credit: https://microsoftcaregh.com/

read more
Special Report

Access Bank’s ‘W’ Initiative Organises Breast Cancer Campaign

by Women Times on

Access Bank’s ‘W’ Initiative, a flagship women empowerment programme, has organised a breast cancer campaign for eight weeks in commemoration of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The event spread awareness about the realities of breast cancer in Nigeria and also created opportunities for women to get free screening by medical experts.

This campaign, which aimed at improving community awareness on health issues that affect women and their families, screened over 300 women in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt.

In addition to cervical screening in Lagos, courtesy of partner hospitals, female staff members of Access Bank also benefited from the campaign, enjoying access to the breast cancer screenings.

Group Head, W Initiative, Access Bank Plc, Ayona Trimnell, said: “We are very delighted to see all the Nigerian women we were able to support with our breast cancer campaign. Breast cancer is a major health issue affecting women in Nigeria, with little attention been placed on its impact. We encourage the women who participated from the free screening and other women across Nigeria to continue to have regular check-ups from their gynaecologists and also enlighten other women on the importance of a regular breast screening.”

“At Access Bank, we hope to do so much more for the women who have trusted us with their resources as we launch new campaigns that would educate, enlighten, and provide them with the financial assistance they need to live healthy and full lives,” she added.

The W Initiative has become home to everything Access Bank has to offer women. These privileges range from financial to lifestyle needs.

Under the initiative, participating women and their families have been given access to a wide range of privileges, including access to credit facilities to not only fund women owned businesses but also healthcare needs.

 

read more
1 … 6 7 8
Page 8 of 8