Understating the Rights of Women and Girls
YALI Learns Event on Understanding the Right of Women and Girls. Held at the American Corner Sabo Yaba, in celebration of the international women's Day, 2018.
The programme started by 10am with an opening statement by Mr Austin A. Emmanuel the representative of the U S consulate Lagos. He gave brief introductory message about the YALI learns Event, what the programme entailed followed by the Introduction of the Event moderator Julius Ilori who proceeded to lead the National Anthem. Olamipeju Adekunle founder of the Girl Show Nigeria spoke on Ending Violence Against Girls.
She shared her story on how she was molested when she was younger and that has led her to be an advocate of gender-based violence. The audience asked questions and contributed to what Olamipeju said. Some of the questions asked was about the fact that the male child is not celebrated as the female child is, and that too could be an issue.
Roseline Nnedinma Ezenagu took the stand and spoke about “Supporting Girls’ Right to Learn” and shared her personal story on how it was an issue for her to go to school because there was no one to sponsor her education. Her father did not want to send her to school due to financial reasons and because she was a girl. She also spoke about cultural undertone that affects a girl’s right to education and made references to the north and the religious bias. She talked about how this fight can be won by been involved in our community and championing the positive change that we want to see in society.
The next speaker Mofe Toluwa Y. Aransiola defined gender discrimination and how women are discriminated against in the workplace. The rights men have over women and how women can channel their strengths, been diplomatic and speaking up for themselves. We had the honour of Director , Domestic Violence Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation who representative of the permanent secretary of the Minsiter, Mrs Toyin Jaiyeola spoke on what the Lagos state government is doing to provide jobs for women, revisiting of syllabus , sensitizing individuals on domestic violence and that the law has been since 2007 and most women and people are not aware of it, sensitization of women’s health status, counseling.
After this was the panel session which was moderated by Toluwani Johnson. The panelist included Mofe Aransiola, Mrs Toyin Jaiyeola, Mrs Roseline Nnedinma Ezenagu, Raliat Bello and Rtr. Lucy C. Damian who answered questions people posed to them online. The program came at 1:05pm. Free Course materials was given to all participant , We had 38 participants which included six men.
