Nigeria’s political arena is challenging for women due to the cultural, social, structural and institutional barriers and limitations. However, in spite of the obstacles, many Nigerian women remain active participants and have demonstrated courage, resilience, determination, innovation, and leadership, are taking purposeful action and making noteworthy strides

In order to amplify the voices of women in politics in Nigeria and galvanise support for collective action, WISCAR curated a conversation using its platform to spotlight women leaders engaged in the complex and challenging landscape of politics and advocacy in Nigeria. The second edition of the 2023 Meet-A-WISCAR series was successfully held on Thursday, 7th September 2023, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The panel discussion, themed “Women in Politics and Advocacy,” had 150 participants from the corporate sector, enterprise, government, and the civil society sectors in virtual attendance.

Nigerian women constitute nearly half of the country’s approx. 220 million population; however, significant gaps persist in their representation within both elective and appointive positions. Women are barely present. This discrepancy raises widespread concerns, given the critical role women play in the development of nations and society. Despite the concerted collaborative initiatives that have been launched by both governmental and non-governmental organisations to address this issue and increase female representation in governance and politics, not much progress has been made.

Reflecting on the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995), which called for 30% affirmative action, Nigeria has made slow progress to augment women’s engagement in the political structures and processes. The National Gender Policy (NGP) in Nigeria takes a stride forward by recommending 35% affirmative action. This policy aspires for a more encompassing representation of women, underlining the goal that at least 35% of both elective political positions and appointive public service roles should be held by women.

However, despite these efforts, Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of achieving its targeted 35% gender representation and indeed the passage of the Gender Bills presented to the NASS

The outcomes of the 2023 general elections once again delivered dismal numbers for women across board. The representation of women in the 10th Assembly compared to the 9th Assembly is disappointing. Specifically, the Senate have women occupying only 3 out of 109 seats (2.7%), while the House of Representatives have 17 women out of 360 seats (4.7%), collectively accounting for 4.2% of the 469-member Assembly. Furthermore, the number of women appointed (17.8%) in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new cabinet was disappointing. We look forward to more female appointees in this administration in line with the renewed hope agenda.

After seven general election cycles since 1999, the number of women in the Senate has regressed to the levels observed at Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999! With Nigeria, the giant of Arica, lagging behind other countries in this regard.

The pursuit of gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and efforts to establish more balanced and equitable representation remain critical imperatives for the advancement and progress of Nigerian society and socio-economic growth.

At WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers), we recognise the pivotal role that role modelling, mentorship and shared experiences play in empowering women. The shared stories of our special guests offered not just a glimpse into their journey so far but a roadmap for others to follow. They unpacked their strategies, the support systems that they leaned on, and their perspectives on navigating the political terrain and the evolving role of women in Nigerian politics and we collectively plan towards the next election cycle in 2027.

The virtual panel session consisting of; Adeola Azeez – Partner/West Africa Representative, Sigma Risk, SDP Candiate, Ijebu Central Senatorial District election; Ayisha Osori – Activist/Author, Love Does Not Win Elections and former contestant for elective office in the House of Representatives); and Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi – Founding Director, WARDC; explored the topic the role of women in Politics and Advocacy.

The panel session was moderated by Founder, WILAN Global, Abosede George-Ogan, and hosted by WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, Amina Oyagbola. Practical ideas and insights emerged from the very rich conversation on the benefits of inclusive governance to society and the pathway to equal representation of women in politics to build a better nation.

KEY POINTS FROM THE PANEL

• Challenging Religious and Cultural Biases:
  Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi highlighted the influence of religion and culture as major barriers to women’s political participation and the need to change social norms. These factors contribute to society’s stereotypes about women’s roles and capabilities. While acknowledging that these biases are not unique to Nigeria, she stressed the importance of engaging with religious and cultural leaders to challenge and change these perceptions.
• Enhancing Visibility of Young Women:
  Poor visibility of young women in Nigerian politics as a significant weakness was another point emphasised by Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi. She stressed the need for intentional efforts to increase the digital presence and visibility of young female political leaders. By showcasing their achievements and contributions, society can better appreciate the valuable role young women play in politics.
• Equal Representation in Decision-Making:
  Ayisha Osori highlighted the importance of achieving equal representation of men and women, young people, and individuals with disabilities in decision-making and policy-making processes. Governments should reflect on the diversity of their societies, and women should have a seat at the table where budgets and policies are determined.
• Early Engagement with Communities:
  The need for female political contestants to start engaging with their communities early was raised by Ayisa Osori as waiting until shortly before elections to become visible is insufficient. To be truly visible and relevant, women should continuously engage with their communities and champion causes that resonate with the people they aim to represent.
• Impactful Engagement in Politics:
  Adeola Azeez expressed her frustration with the state of governance and emphasized the need for impactful political engagement. She urged women to leverage their accomplishments in other fields and use politics as a platform to make a significant impact on society. She also shared creative ideas on how to raise funds for elective office.
• Prioritising Legislative Bills:
  Adeola Azeez highlighted a practical step to improve female participation in politics—prioritising legislative bills that support gender inclusivity. Revisiting and passing bills related to women’s participation in politics is a low-hanging fruit that can yield substantial progress in the next electoral cycle.
• Promoting a Mindset Change:
  The panelists called for a consensus to change mindsets and raise awareness about the critical importance of women’s participation in politics. Women have a pivotal role to play in advocating for this change in various environments, including social gatherings and community interactions and in their homes

Strategic Action Required for Advancing Gender Inclusivity in Nigerian Politics:

• Challenge Religious and Cultural Biases:
  • Engage religious and cultural leaders to challenge stereotypes about women’s roles;
  • Promote dialogue on the role of women and gender equality with religious and cultural values.
• Enhance Visibility of Young Women:
  • Take deliberate steps to increase the visibility and digital presence of young female political leaders;
  • Raise awareness by showcasing the achievements and contributions of young women in politics.
• Achieve Equal Representation in Decision-Making:
  • Advocate for equal representation of men and women, young people, and individuals with disabilities in policy and budget decision-making;
  • Ensure that our government reflects the diversity and demography of their societies through inclusive representation.
• Early Community Engagement:
  • Encourage female political contestants to engage with their communities early and continuously;
  • Champion causes that resonate with the people they aim to represent, fostering trust and relevance.
• Promote Impactful Political Engagement:
  • Encourage successful career women to go into politics and use their influence for societal impact;
  • Highlight politics as a platform for making a significant difference in governance and policymaking.
• Prioritise Legislative Bills:
  • Advocate for the prioritization and passage of legislative bills that support gender inclusivity in politics.
  • Address legal barriers and create an enabling environment for women’s political participation.
• Promote Mindset Change:
  
  • Engage in conversations and awareness campaigns to change mindsets, and social norms regarding women’s role in politics;
  • Emphasize the importance of women’s participation in shaping policies, structures, and systems.

CONCLUSION AND APPRECIATION

The panel session concluded with the vote of thanks as delivered by Dolapo Alayaki, WISCAR, Operations Manager. She also gave special recognition to all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the WISCAR initiatives memorable and impactful.

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The 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference tagged – ‘An Evening with WISCAR’ was successfully held on Saturday, 10^th December, 2022, from 4:00pm to 9:30pm. The conference which was themed “FOR THE NATION: THE POWER OF INCLUSION” had over 600 (Six Hundred) delegates – from Corporate World, Enterprise, Government, and the Civil Society Sectors in physical attendance from across Nigeria and several others streaming online on YouTube from across the globe.

Opening and Goodwill Messages

The conference formally kicked off with a special rendition of the National Anthem by Opera Singer Sandra Osamor.

The goodwill messages were delivered by distinguished personalities who provided valuable insights on the power and importance of female inclusion in leadership and governance for the nation. The goodwill messages were as follows;

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, The Executive Governor of Lagos State ably represented by Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.  In his goodwill message the Executive Governor stated that the theme for this year’s conference “For the Nation; The Power of Inclusion” is very appropriate and timely because it challenges the fundamental belief that only a specific gender or class of people have the potential to be highly productive contributors.

Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British Deputy High Commissioner Nigeria highlighted that women and girls make up half of the Nation’s population and invariably half of the Nation’s potential. Hence, it would be a great disservice for Nigeria to exclude half of its population from fully contributing to the economy. He further stated that the global average of women representation in politics is 22.5% but Nigeria’s average is at 6.7% and improving this takes a collective effort.

Ms. Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and Ecowas in her goodwill message elucidated on how the theme for the Annual Conference recognizes the adverse and lasting impact of the exclusion of women, girls, persons living with disability and the most vulnerable on Nigeria’s socio-economy. She went further to share the results of the UN Women/WISCAR partnership in promoting SDG 5 to address and close some of the gaps.

Mrs. Oluwatomi Bola-Sadipe, Country Sales Manager, Nigeria & Ghana, United Airlines highlighted United Airlines commitment to gender inclusion which is evident in the recruitment process of the company stating that any company that seeks to exist and sustain its operations for generations to come must think inclusion and diversity.

HRH Muhammad Sanusi Lamido II, Sarkin Kano gave the final goodwill message expressing that the theme of this year’s WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference brings to the fore the issues that need to be addressed as the matter of inclusion is one that has affected the progress of the nation. He that inclusion means involving women, youths, people living with disability amongst others and as citizens we should call on political candidates to share their plans for diversity and inclusion.

Founder’s Address

Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, Founder/Chairperson of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) graciously appreciated the presence of all distinguished guests, participants, donors and sponsors at the 2022 Annual Conference. After which, she reiterated WISCAR’s mission which is to equip generations of talented women for ethical leadership as women are key to sustainable development.

She then proceeded to give an account of WISCAR’s impact in 2022 which includes the 2022 graduating cohort of the WIN with WISCAR Programmes (WIN I & II and WIN III) which comprises 51 female professionals, who following a rigorous selection process qualified for the WISCAR programs and proceeded to participate in shaping and concretizing their career goals and aspirations in January 2022.

She also emphasized that the theme for this year’s conference “FOR THE NATION: THE POWER OF INCLUSION.” is a clarion call to galvanize action by all to enable and accelerate women’s inclusion in governance, leadership in organizations and active female participation in all spheres of our nation. She further stated that it is also a call to people to take deliberate steps to elect public servants that are gender sensitive in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

She looked forward with excitement to hearing from the Keynote Panelists as the Fire Side Chat with Global icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which was the high point of the conference.

Oluwayemisi Mafe, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication in West Africa, Pfizer in her Mentees testimonial shared that joining and completing the WISCAR Mentoring programme was one of her goals for the year 2022. She further mentioned that there is a need for organizations to follow through on WISCAR’s advocacy by developing a gender agenda and no discrimination policies at all levels in line with SDG 10 and implement the appropriate culture to promote diversity and inclusion.

Keynote Panel Session/Key Points/Recommendations

The keynote plenary session consisting of; Hawwah Gambo – Journalist and Political Candidate; Adia Sowho – Chief Marketing Officer, MTN; Chukwuemeka Onyimadu – National Economist, UN Women Nigeria; and Tosin Oshinowo – Principal Architect, cmDesign Atelier explored the topic Her Inclusion: Our Collective Gain.

Moderated by globally recognized journalist, development expert and public servant, Tunji Lardner, the conversation brought to bear practical ideas and insights on the benefits of inclusive governance to society and discussed ways inclusion improves the economy and how it can be better harnessed.

Key Points from the Keynote Panel Session;

• There is a need for continuous and concerted efforts towards advocating for gender inclusion so that the next generation does not suffers from the consequences.
• Inequality starts at home and if we are going to advocate equality, it has to start from the home.
• The way women build networks in their workplaces has to differ from men because the conversations between women are more intimate and more truthful and they require a much deeper foundation.
• The resistance against the Gender and Equality bill stems largely from the perceptions around the objectives of the bill. By and large, religion has had a very strong impact on the acceptability of the bill within the assembly. UN Women is working with CSOs and other gender cohorts to see how that perception can be redressed and still be fair and equitable. What the bill seeks to achieve is to ensure that women have equal opportunities and that speaks largely to the theme of the WISCAR Annual Conference.
• Less than one percent of women entrepreneurs as well as women-owned businesses participate in public procurement. In fact, it is even worse when we look at women-owned businesses that benefit from public procurement. It is therefore imperative that forward looking companies begin to consider implementing affirmative procurement policies to improve the numbers and close the gap.
• Women need to become a little bit less conscious that they are women and see themselves as people.
• Role modelling is key. We need to create more opportunities for women to see the possibilities, just seeing someone else who is in a similar situation as you, or looks like you, and what they have achieved means that it is possible.

Inspirational Talk

There was a powerful spoken words rendition by Kemi Lala Akindoju’s Production Company that reminded the participants of women who had gone ahead in the quest for gender inclusion and equity. Through the piece, there was a call for us to take action towards achieving the desired future we want for our people (male and female), for our beloved Nigeria.

Posthumous Award

WISCAR presented a posthumous award to Late Professor Grace Alele-Williams, a national icon in recognition of her outstanding contribution and legacy. A Shero and a true embodiment of our values at WISCAR.

In the award to the Family, and in honour of her memory, WISCAR initiated the Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award which in subsequent years will be bestowed on a deserving WISCAR Alumni.

Keynote Fireside Chat

The keynote fireside chat with the WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, Amina Oyagbola and Global Icon and Multiple Award-Winning Author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie further deepened the relevance of the Conference theme. This chat was preceded by a specially curated indigenous salutation (Oja) of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s rich Igbo heritage and her achievements which ushered her to the stage with great emotion and excitement.

In an emotional response to the Oja, she stated how much the words reminded her of the people she holds dear and how they have contributed to the woman she is today. Her introductory remarks, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stated the importance of gatherings like the WISCAR Annual Conference which serves as a reminder of the values that matter and actions that can be taken, adding that the desire for women to participate in decision making processes, should not be only because they are women but also based on the awareness that there are certain compositions about the socialization of women that is an enabler for better leadership.

In her conversation with the Founder, she stated that the challenges she encountered in her career were mitigated with the support and foundation set by her family. She emphasized the need for parents particularly fathers to be present and involved in the lives of their children. In shedding lighter on the word feminism, she remarked that it is a word that has been so often misunderstood,  and become easy to make a caricature of. It is a word that speaks more about justice, equality and recognizing that every human being deserves equal opportunity – establishing that people should not be excluded from opportunities that they ordinarily might excel at or are interested in because they are female.

She shared her experience on setbacks and recounted how she was told that no one will publish her books because she was writing about Africa and African Countries. Indeed, her manuscripts were rejected several times but she kept writing and sending them out till a female publisher saw the value and the rest as they say is history. She shared that she has learnt to deal with feelings of disappointment and failure by giving herself a timeline to feel sorry after which she picks herself up and moves on. Dwelling on such feelings she says will make you sink deeper into despair which is counter-productive and unhealthy.

Change is often difficult for people. In general, as human beings, we think that if something has been done continuously, then it is automatically the right way to do it, however, this is not always the case.  Ms. Adichie mentioned two key areas where people are indoctrinated as:

• The school: School teaches children not just academics, but certain cultural things we also need to push back on. For example, a father is the breadwinner and a mother plays a supporting role which no longer reflects the true reality.
• Religion: It would be impossible to challenge gender roles on our continent without religion. People dismiss a lot of things using religion. For instance, how can you say you are equal, you were made from a rib- I believe God is a feminist she says and I look forward to crafting the case for God being Feminist because there is no way that a loving God, will decide that some of his creations are somehow lesser than others. It completely destroys the notion of a loving God.

As her final charge, she tasked attendees on the need to not just focus on the development of girls but also on how boys are raised – stating that there is a need engage boys early and reshape the ideas of masculinity to encourage expressing emotion, believing in fairness, advocating against discrimination.

Presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award

Following an insightful fireside chat, the specially curated citation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s career and achievements was played after which she was presented with the 2022 Distinguished WISCAR Award by the WISCAR Advisory Board Members led by the Chair of the Planning Committee

The Distinguished WISCAR Award was given to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in recognition for her outstanding contribution to the fields of literature and culture, for being a thought leader, and an advocate for women’s rights.

Executive Director Transition

It was an emotional and beautiful moment when Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, WISCAR Founder/Chairperson, announced the transition of Mrs. Fabia Ogunmekan, WISCAR Executive Director after 5 years at the helm of WISCAR’s affairs. In her remarks, Mrs. Oyagbola gave a heartfelt appreciation to Fabia Ogunmekan for her sterling contribution to WISCAR.

Conclusion and Appreciation

The conference concluded with the vote of thanks as delivered by Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, the Chair of the Planning Committee. Fabia Ogunmekan also gave special recognition to all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference memorable and impactful.

Sponsors for the 2022 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference are: United Airlines, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Pacific Holdings Limited, Aliko Dangote Foundation,  IHS Nigeria PLC, Coronation Asset Management, Bank of Industry, Maersk, SPDC, SNEPCO, FCMB, Sterling Bank PLC, Cadbury Nigeria PLC, Lotus Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Aella, SunTrust Bank, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, MTN Nigeria, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, Wema Bank, EKEDC, NLNG, Coronation Merchant Bank, Ernst & Young, MainOne, Enterprise Life, Lagos State Government, PharmAccess Foundation, Pladis Global, UN Women Nigeria, Habiba Balogun Consulting, Oyagbola Chambers, AKMS Consulting, AfricaBusinessRadio.com, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, DKK, Nigerian Bottling Company, Touchdown Travels, Narrative Landscape, Hallmark HMO, Eko Atlantic, Hans & René, Diageo PLC and Nigerian Breweries.

Advocacy & Policy Recommendations from the Panel and Keynote

Inclusion, Women Economic Empowerment and Women’s Political Participation

Following the discussions of the panel and the fire side chat, we note that there is a lot more that can be done to create more gender inclusive economies, for which the business and political case has already been made.

• As citizens, we should ask questions from political aspirants on their plans and strategies for gender inclusion.
• Companies need to implement gender inclusive policies and promote a culture that is open to diversity and inclusion.
• With only about 1% women gaining access to the procurement opportunities, it has become imperative for companies to implement an affirmative procurement policy because it makes for sustainable business and national development.

Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR)

Lagos, Nigeria.

December, 2022.

www.wiscar.ng

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The 2021 Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference was successfully held from the 23^rd through to the 27^th of November 2021. The theme for the conference “PLAYING BIG; TIME TO TAKE OUR PLACE’’ was explored virtually and physically and showcased 3 events over 4 days with over 1600 (One Thousand Six Hundred) delegates in attendance at the various events from across Nigeria, the Continent, and the diaspora. It was truly a global event with insightful and engaging conversations with several calls to action. Conference delegates were drawn from the Corporate World, Enterprise, Government, Development, and the Civil Society Sectors.

VIRTUAL YOUTH PANEL

The first event in our lineup of events was the Virtual Youth Panel which took place on Tuesday the 23^rd November 2021. Under the umbrella theme for the 2021 conference “Playing Big; Time to Take our Place” we had 9 phenomenal speakers explore two sub-themes viz “Playing Big; She Did That” and “Taking our Place”.

The first panel “Playing Big; She Did That” had young leaders pushing the boundaries of the entrepreneurial landscape through technological innovations. Our speaker line up included; Temie Giwa-Tubosun (Founder & CEO, Life Bank), Onajite Emerhor (Head, Google for Startups Accelerator Africa), Folake Owodunni (Co-Founder, Emergency Response Africa & WISCAR Alumni) and Melissa Basque Roux the Principal Officer AFAWA/African Development Bank who moderated the conversation. This discussion generated useful information such as the significant role of networks, community, and mentorship in actualizing our aspirations, they also spoke on the importance of playing bold and thriving, side by side facing challenges head-on while climbing the career ladder.

The second panel explored the sub-theme “Taking our Place” and the panelists were; Kemi Onabanjo-Joseph (Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company), Samson Itodo (Executive Director, Yiaga Africa), Abosede Alimi (Co-Founder ElectHer), and Blessing Ocheido (Director General, Platinum Interventions Care Initiative & WISCAR Alumni). Femi Taiwo the Executive Director LEAP Africa moderated the conversation. The conversations from this panel bordered on actionable and practical steps to ensure women and people with disabilities are included and engaged in decisions that affect us and our society. They spoke on the importance of true integration and inclusion of people with disabilities through representation of women and people with disabilities in every step of the political process.

We also had goodwill messages from industry leaders and experts including Comfort Lamptey the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Adeoye Fadeyibi the MD/CEO of EKEDC and Ayisha Osori the Director, Executive Vice President’s Office, Open Society Foundations who also provided us with recommendations for Playing Bold and Big.

Key Learnings from both sessions.

• Be intentional about mentorship and self-development.
• Build a community and network of like-minded people that hold you accountable to your goals.
• Always be prepared to seize opportunities.
• Individuals, Private Organizations and the government should take deliberate actions towards actualizing an inclusive society that provides women, people with disabilities and all marginalized persons with equal opportunities.
• Everyone should be conscious and interested in political happenings in their environment and society.
• Be politically franchised by participating in political activities and actively voting.

ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS “MEET-A-WISCAR”

The second event in the 2021 Annual Leadership & Mentoring Conference was the Virtual Roundtable Mentoring session which took place from the 24^th to 26^th of November 2021. This event had 9 mentoring sessions with 9 accomplished exceptional women who shared their career trajectory and journey with participants.

The Mentors for this event were; Dr. Omobola Johnson (Chairman of Guinness Nigeria), F. Boma Ayomide Alabi OON SAN (Founding partner, Primera Africa Legal), Maryam Uwais MFR (Special Advisor to the President on Social Investments), Funke Opeke (CEO of MaineOne),  Funke Amobi   (Regional Head, People and Culture for West Africa in Africa-regions Standard Bank Group), Titilayo Akisanya (Founder/CEO Theta Alpha Consult Ltd), Eugenia Abu (Ace Broadcaster & Journalist/CEO Eugenia Abu Media), Omasan Ogisi, (GM Corporate Affairs MTN Nigeria), and Amina Oyagbola, (Founder & Chairperson WISCAR).

Key Learnings from the Sessions.

• Be intentional about learning and growing as knowledge is power and a vital key to success.
• Be a master of your craft and let your expertise be recognized by being deliberate about visibility.
• Be available to bring about solutions when there is a gap,
• Be a woman with sterling character and values; conduct yourself with the utmost respect. Be confident and comfortable in your own skin and dress for success!
• Ensure you make impact wherever you find yourself, give back to your society as much as you can and be part of the positive change.
• Invest in building and maintaining relationships, your network is your net worth.
• If your job does not scare you then it is not big enough, therefore step up to new challenges and be resilient.
• Be your best self, do the best work, and give the best results.

GRAND FINALE

The final event of the conference was held both physically and virtually on the 27^th of November 2021. Venue of the physical convening was the Shell Hall, Muson Center Onikan Lagos, Nigeria.  It was anchored by Tokunboh George-Taylor, Managing Director Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Unekwu Nwaezeapu, a Marketing Communications professional and WISCAR Alumni. Our event hosts set the scene for the day and made everyone welcome. The event was declared opened with special rendition of the Nigerian National Anthem by Opera Singer Ranti Ihimoyan.

We were indeed privileged to have distinguished personalities honor us with their presence to provide goodwill messages as follows;

GOODWILL MESSAGES

Professor Yemi Osinbajo GCON- Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His Excellency was represented by the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen OFR. In his goodwill message, the Vice President commended WISCAR for their work on women empowerment, he acknowledged the He-for-She’s present at the conference and encouraged all Nigerian men to support the cause of gender empowerment. He further stated that one of the deliverables expected from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs was to advocate for male allies for the cause of gender parity, equity and empowerment in all the states of the Federation. This ongoing advocacy has resulted in remarkable progress being made for women and girls at the Federal and State levels. His Excellency the Vice-President emphasized the importance of the fight against all forms of gender-based violence against women. He expatiated on adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as a having exposed the menace of gender-based violence In Nigeria and indeed globally. It was noted for instance that statistics from a recent study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported by the Norwegian Government shared that 28% of Nigerian Women between the ages of 25-29years have experienced some form of physical violence since the age of 15.

Speaking on the conference theme His Excellency expressed that “Playing Big” requires that women play strategic roles in national development. He further expressed that not only should every woman and girl be safe in their respective homes, community and place of work, they must all be given the opportunities and tools to enable them to become socially, financially and economically empowered. His Excellency commended women in the financial sector for breaking the glass ceiling and enjoined them to explore strategies to develop new interventions to include gender responsive budgeting, assess the gender responsiveness of key fiscal interventions including the fiscal stimulus packages with specific commitments aimed at improving the safety, and economical livelihood of women and girls.

Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria.

In his goodwill message, the Honourable Minister remarked on the great timing of conference considering the status of gender inequality especially post the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that women in our African societies are still not as empowered as they should be, and noted that the education and mentorship of women would provide a space where women can discuss and explore their aspirations as well as be encouraged to not only aspire but also get into leadership positions. He noted that this could be achieved by supporting women with skills acquisition, confidence and networks. He concluded his remarks by stating that preparing women through mentorship programmes was of significant importance in the acceleration of gender equality and gender empowerment and for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa– Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

In her goodwill message, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa congratulated WISCAR for her continuous dedication to women’s empowerment.  She stated that a nation that does not utilize the skills of women will remain underdeveloped and Nigeria as a country needs to do better with issues of gender inclusion.  Referencing the conference theme, she encouraged all women to follow their passion, aim big and dare to venture beyond their comfort zone, despite challenges that may arise.  She also emphasized on the importance of mentorship in career success and its role in building the Nigeria of our dreams.  She concluded her remarks charging the delegates that we are all agents of change and that by working together we can build the Nigeria of our dreams.

Comfort Lamptey- UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

In her goodwill message, Madam Comfort Lamptey commended WISCAR for its commitment and diligence in completing its 2021 mentorship program and expressed on behalf of UN Women its pride in collaborating with WISCAR over the past year. She articulated the undisputable impact of women’s leadership in stirring the cause of the COVID-19 recovery globally. She also noted the capacity of Nigerian Women to lead in the highest offices, evident in the fact that they are at the helm of international organizations such as the United Nations, the WTO and in several private institutions.  She stated that given these capabilities the low representation of Nigerian women in political leadership was rather unfortunate. She stated that women made up only 3.8 % of those in elective offices across states and only 16% of appointed positions at the national level. She therefore called for more female voices in the political space advocating for the rights and opportunities of women.  She also spoke on the role of mentorship in ensuring women continue to have a seat at the table where decisions on the national agenda are being made. She encouraged everyone to advocate for the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill and leverage male allies to accomplish that. She concluded her goodwill message with words of encouragement to all young women to continue to see themselves as nation builders and to use their skills, talent and determination to build a more resilient and inclusive Nigeria.

THE FOUNDER’S SPEECH

The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola formally welcomed participants to the event and expressed her joy for an opportunity for a physical gathering and her gratitude to everyone virtually and physically present. In line with the conference theme: “PLAYING BIG; TIME TO TAKE OUR PLACE” she highlighted the importance of women’s leadership in the face of COVID-19 and the rise of more women to leadership positions in all sectors and particularly celebrated the banking sector in Nigeria. She stated that the percentage of women on boards in Nigeria as at August 2020 stood at 20%, well above the world average of 17%, the African average of 14% and West African average of 11%. Further speaking on female leadership in the Nigerian Banking sector she spoke of the paradigm shift in the sector where we witnessed between the years 2020 and 2021 an increase in the number of women at the top of institutional leadership with currently eight women serving as Chief Executive Officers /Managing Directors (MDs) of leading banks. This she explained was a direct outcome of gender progressive policies in play and what can happen when effectively utilised.

In her remarks, she noted that on the flip-side of what was happening in the banking sector was the discouraging situation of women’s participation and representation in politics and governance as the 2019 elections witnessed the return of only a few women to political positions in Nigeria. She noted that currently only 7 out of 109 Senators and 22 of the 360 House of Representatives members are women. She called for a change in the upcoming 2023 elections and encouraged delegates present to participate by getting their PVC’s and voting for or supporting female candidates.

Further speaking on the 2021 Conference theme, she expressed that it was vital to showcase and celebrate women exemplars and role models who not only inspire by their actions but who also pay it forward by lifting other women up through mentorship and sponsorship. She also shared that this years’ conference was aimed at showcasing leading women driving transformational change by Playing Big in their various fields, from social innovation to entrepreneurship, to the corporate world and politics.

She went on to recognize the 12th stream of mentees graduating from the 12-month WIN I & II programme and spoke on the work that WISCAR had undertaken in the course of the year in the areas of advocacy, program development as well as strategic collaborations and partnerships with organizations like UN Women, FCMB and Alluvial Agriculture.  Expanding on the strategic collaboration with UN Women Nigeria she shared that WISCAR was appointed Private Sector Liaison to UN Women Nigeria to strengthen private sector support and participation towards the acceleration of several UN Women, Gender Equality, and Gender Empowerment (GEWE) initiatives.

She thanked all the resource persons and Mentors who had contributed to the successful execution of the various programmes in the course of the year and the WISCAR Secretariat for superb delivery. She celebrated all the esteemed Advisory Board Members and the leadership of the Chairs of WISCAR’s sub-committees. She expressed gratitude to all the speakers and panelists who had very graciously accepted WISCAR’s invitation to inspire and empower others by participating in the event. She specially acknowledged the keynote speaker, Bola Adesola gracing the occasion with her esteemed presence. She expressed her sincere appreciation to all the 2021 Donors and Sponsors for their generous financial and in-kind support in an exceedingly difficult year, and all donors who have supported WISCAR in the past.

KEY-NOTE PANEL SESSION

The event had one plenary session with the theme “Women Playing Big”. The distinguished Panelists were; Kafilat Araoye – MD/CEO Lotus Bank, Fola Laoye – Co-Founder and CEO Iwosan Investments Limited, Owen Omogiafo – President & Group CEO, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria PlC, Lara Lana – Managing Director, Maersk Nigeria. Kayode Okikiolu, Anchor & Reporter at Channels Television, moderated the discussion.

Key Learnings from the plenary session

• It is essential to utilize mentorship to build a support structure to take you to the next level. Mentorship is not a one- way street, you can be mentored in a structured programme, or seek mentoring by watching what steps women you admire take.
• No woman is an island, your network and communities play an important role in your growth, they also provide you with accountability for your plans and aspirations.
• Always be your authentic self, be deliberate and have some stealth.
• Preparedness for opportunities is a key success factor we must all build.
• Stand out from the crowd by doing your best work at all times.
• Go beyond what you are being told to do as people build confidence in you when their familiar with your capabilities.
• Step out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself and strive for the best.
• Your character is fundamental to your growth, respect others and treat people kindly.
• Utilize all bad experiences as a platform to make change, improve and learn from those experiences.
• Build a reputation of competence, capability, principles and values
• Private and public organizations should provide practical policies and supporting infrastructure for the growth and the acceleration of women’s careers.
• Organizations should not be afraid of affirmative action and providing more women a seat at the table.
• Be intentional about acquiring knowledge and self-development.
• As your confidence grows so does your capacity, be confident of your skills and the value you bring.
• Organizations should prioritize the mental health of their staff by putting in place policies that care for it.
• Be a Visionary and be deliberate towards achieving your goals.

In closing the panelists were asked their definition of a Woman Playing Big and their answers were;

• Lara Lana: A woman will play big if she is authentic, and dares to be the first-rate version of herself. Know who you are and be like water as water can be cold, it can be hot, it can be steamy and it can be a rain shower in other words know when to be dynamic but stay authentic.
• Kafilat Araoye: A woman will play big if she if is a visionary, if she is deliberate in her actions towards achieving her goals. She will play big if she is audacious, determined and demands to have a seat at the table.
• Fola Laoye: A woman will play big if she performs, and ensures that in any task little or big, given or chosen she does it well and she gets results.
• Owen Omogiafo: No woman is an Island; a woman will play big where she ensures she is intentional about creating the right network and support structure specifically to assist her in taking her career to the next level.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The highlight of the Conference was the Keynote speech and Fireside chat with Financial Industry leader, Gender Empowerment and parity advocate, Financial Inclusion Advocate, and the Chairperson of Ecobank, Bola Adesola.

In her keynote speech, she commended WISCAR for the remarkable work they have done for the past 12 years geared at developing women to build a better nation. She stated that the theme of the conference Playing Big; Time to Take our Place is indeed what WISCAR has been doing within the community of women-oriented NGOs, as it very early on in its inception established its purpose and set about executing this purpose through focused programming around structured mentorship of women in careers and supporting them in advancing to leadership. Still speaking on the theme, she expressed her definition of Playing Big as;

• Taking your place of leadership in your chosen career or field of endeavour.
• It is about setting your sights on the apex of the success ladder in your journey through life.
• It is about determining earlier on what success should look like for you, not for anyone else
• It is about understanding the harsh operating environment yet being determined to navigate and traverse the terrain despite the hurdles and challenges along the way.
• It is about identifying the role and importance of your community in the attainment of your dreams.
• It is about embracing risks.
• It is about celebrating milestone achievements.
• It is about stepping into your purpose.
• And most importantly it is about PLAYING Big and STAYING Big!

She also shared a few key attributes that have been instrumental to her successful career journey, which has now termed “The Success P’s”. They are; Purpose, Planning, Preparation, People, Positioning, Perseverance, Performance & Productivity. She further spoke on electoral franchise and encouraged all women to register, and vote at elections as there are 100 million women in Nigeria meaning that women can move the dial towards good governance and firm leadership if we decide to. She called for more gender-oriented organizations to help African women build back better by providing more appropriate funding support and capacity for female-owned businesses, closing the gender gap by increasing diversity in hiring, promoting work-life balance and equal training opportunities for women. She encouraged women to support each other and pass the baton to other women and ended her call to action with an interesting quote “As women, we must first Think BIG to Play BIG, and then Stay BIG. We will create that place and no better time than now to Take It.”

Her Call to Action;

• We need more women to show interest in the public sector by running for political leadership positions.
• Women must register to vote and vote. We have the numbers to make change happen in the public sector.
• Leaders must establish protocols to create gender balance.
• We need more funding for female-owned businesses.
• We need more gender-oriented organizations like WISCAR to help women build back better from the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The private sector should work on closing the gender gap by increasing diversity in hiring, promoting work-life balance, and equal training opportunities for women.
• Women should support other women!

Following her keynote speech, she sat in an intimate fireside conversation with the Founder and Chairperson of WISCAR Amina Oyagbola where she shared more intimately with the audience her life and career journey.

PRESENTATION OF THE DISTINGUISHED WISCAR AWARD

Following an insightful and inspirational session, the 2021 Distinguished WISCAR Award was presented to Mrs. Bola Adesola in recognition of her outstanding career as an innovative and visionary leader, her advocacy and work for women empowerment, sustainable development and growth of Nigeria and Africa. The conferment of the award was preceded by a specially curated citation of Mrs. Adesola’s distinguished career and achievements.

In her response Mrs. Adesola expressed her honour at being conferred with the award and joining the great company of the previous distinguished recipients. She thanked the Board and Management of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment.

MENTEE TESTIMONIAL  

The next segment of this rich programme was a live testimony from Dolapo Agbede, WISCAR Mentee from the WIN III programme. Dolapo a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and inclusion advocate, living with a Visual impairment spoke of her transformational experience being a part of the WISCAR mentoring programme. She described WISCAR as a safe space where women can prepare for the next step of their careers. She testified that she and other mentees in her cohort experienced authentic mentorship with women who are committed, experienced and successful to ensure that they too achieve their set goals, take their place and play big.

BOOK LAUNCH – THE SHEROES OF BEIJING

At the conference, the much-awaited commemorative book, ‘The Sheroes of Beijing; Telling the Nigeria Stories 25 years after the World Conference on Women’ was launched. On the stage to unveil the book were Dame Pauline Tallen OFR the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Comfort Lamptey the UN Women Country Representative of Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Members of the Advisory Board of WISCAR. Madam Comfort Lamptey commended the work of the WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola and the Executive Director Fabia Ogunmekan for their commitment to leadership and mentorship of women and their contributions to the curation and publication of the book.

She detailed that 2020 marked 25 years since the 1999 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. The book shares the stories in an interview-style format of twenty (20) phenomenal women who participated in this conference, and also served as mentors in the pioneering Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentoring Programme executed by UN Women Nigeria and WISCAR. She thanked all the distinguished women that contributed to the stories in the book and WISCAR for their hard work. She also thanked the European Union through the EU – UN Spotlight Initiative for their support.

CONCLUSION AND APPRECIATION

The Conference concluded with the graduation of WISCAR’s 12^th stream of Mentees for the year 2021, from the WIN 1 & 2 Programme. 35 mentees received Certificates of Completion.

Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, WISCAR Advisory Board Member and Chair of the 2021 Conference Planning Committee, and Fabia Ogunmekan WISCAR’s Executive Director gave the vote of thanks with special appreciation to Distinguished Keynote Speaker Bola Adesola, the keynote panelists, and all our speakers. They thanked all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors, and participants for making the 2021 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference a memorable and glittering success.

Our 2021 sponsor line up was made up of the following organizations;

First Bank, Bank of Industry, Access Bank, MTN Nigeria, Sterling Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Maersk, IHS, Ernst & Young, FSDH, FCMB, Lotus Bank, MainOne, FBN Quest, UBA, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Ecobank, Nigerian LNG Ltd, United Nations Women Nigeria, AKMS Consulting Ltd, DKK Media, Hill+Knowlton, Eko Atlantic, Oyagbola Chambers, Wild Fusion, Emergency Response Africa, Wema Bank Alat, Media Sponsors, Africa Business Radio, Channels TV, Business Day & DBN Media.

ADVOCACY & POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE

These recommendations will guide and form the bedrock of WISCAR’s Advocacy work in 2022. We ask that you join us in supporting and lending your voice and resources to this agenda as we continue to work together to execute our mission of developing women to build a better nation.

• Pass the Gender Equal Opportunities Bill

WISCAR advocates for the passage of the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill as this will bring us closer to achieving true and holistic gender equality and equity in Nigeria.

• Increased Private Sector Participation in Gender Equality and Empowerment Initiatives.

As private sector liaison to UN Women Nigeria, WISCAR calls for private sector organizations to support women’s empowerment by signing up to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment principles and other Gender Equality and Gender Empowerment (GEWE) driven initiatives around eradicating Gender based Violence in the work place and in our communities and ensuring more Gender responsive budgeting and procurement.

• Support Adequate political representation of women

WISCAR advocates for fair representation of women in politics in Nigeria. It in this regard that we call for support for the passage of the Bill for the Amendment of the Constitution to secure 111 Additional Seats for Women in the legislative houses. In Nigeria only 21 out of 469 seats are currently occupied by women at the National Assembly and 45 out of 990 seats in the States Houses of Assembly. It is our hope that the passage of the Bill for additional seats and other gender bills including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill will aid inclusion in political representation and National Development.

• Inclusion of people with disability

WISCAR believes that there is no true inclusion without adequate care and concern for people with disabilities. WISCAR thus calls for all individuals, public organizations and private organizations to ensure that they mainstream people living with disabilities by providing opportunities within workplaces and the enabling environment to thrive without discrimination.

• Promote Total Wellbeing of Employees

WISCAR advocates that it is the responsibility of employers both in the private and in public sector to prioritize the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of their employers and create an enabling environment for their positive growth.

Signed

Amina Oyagbola                                                                             Fabia Ogunmekan

Founder/Chairperson                                                                      Executive Director

The post 2021 WISCAR ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING CONFERENCE – EVENT COMMUNIQUE appeared first on WISCAR.

Podcast with Africa Business Radio

In Janurary 2020, WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola had a sit down session with Africa Buisness Radio articulating her career journey and vision that led her to starting WISCAR and much more https://www.africabusinessradio.com/content/452

WISCAR Executive Secretary Fabia Ogunmekan also had a session introducing the WISCAR Mentoring Programmes https://africabusinessradio.com/content/496

SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK

In February 2020, WISCAR hosted a panel discussion “Forces for Change”; Technology as a Tool for Accelerating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion” at the Social Media Week Lagos 2020. Our distinguished panellists were Toki Mabogunje, Lola Esan, Tobi Obasa, Adenike Adeyemi with moderation by our ES Fabia Ogunmekan. The discussion highlighted the importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace and how organizations can use technology to foster a gender balanced environment to drive better productivity outcome. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/social-media-week/

Win-With-WISCAR

WIN I & II:
We graduated our 11^th stream of mentees from our School of Excellence, a structured competency based development programme. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/win-i-and-ii/
 
WIN III: We also launched our WIN III programme, which is targeted at CEOs and top-level management career and business women, Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/wiscar-win-3/

COVID 19 REPORT – Between May and July 2020 WISCAR Launched 2 reports.

WISCAR and its partners designed and disseminated a survey to investigate and gain a better understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on working women. Given its access to a community of working women across the professions and enterprise, WISCAR was uniquely placed to bring a local perspective to the growing global body of work on the effects of the pandemic on women. The report also takes a look on what UN Women terms a ‘shadow pandemic’ an increased risk of violence towards women and girls. Read survey-
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WISCAR-COVID-19-IMPACT-SURVEY-July-2020.pdf

TOWARDS GENDER EQUITY; TRANSFORMING INSTITUTIONS, SYSTEMS AND CULTURES AS A ROUTE TO IMPACT

In July, WISCAR collaborated with the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre to host a webinar communicating how to transform organizations, cultures and build gender equity. Watch here- 
 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bMayop7_OCjQyMifjujBC4MIEe8lxoEr/view

BEIJING+25 INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAMME

In commemorating 25 years post the Beijing conference WISCAR in Partnership with UN Women Nigeria curated and delivered between April and November 2020, the ‘Beijing +25 Intergenerational Mentorship Programme’. Learn more-
 
https://wiscar.ng/programmes/beijing25-mentoring-programme/

2020 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING CONFERENCE

In our usual fashion we closed out the year with our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, held virtually this year and themed “THE FUTURE WE WANT”. At the conference we critically examined the issues of equity, equality and the importance of inclusive economies for nations to thrive as we re-imagine the future we want for ourselves and the next generation. We also explored what active and concrete steps we can take now as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond. Enjoy the Conference recording here  https://youtu.be/P7iHMsyhaHc
Read our Conference Communique here-
 
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

OPEN MIC SESSION

Watch the Open Mic Session from our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference with Ibukun Oyedeji the CFO Ecobank Nigeria, our Founder Amina Oyagbola, and Executive Secretary Fabia Ogunmekan –https://youtu.be/nrrkgcYGQq4

In our usual fashion we closed out the year with our Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, held virtually this year and themed “THE FUTURE WE WANT”. At the conference we critically examined the issues of equity, equality and the importance of inclusive economies for nations to thrive as we re-imagine the future we want for ourselves and the next generation. We also explored what active and concrete steps we can take now as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond. Enjoy the Conference recording here  https://youtu.be/P7iHMsyhaHc
Read our Conference Communique here-
 
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

HBC SERIES

The HBC series is one of our most requested masterclasses and the lockdown restrictions did not stop our delivery as we took it virtual exploring topics from Getting Ahead in the Workplace to Business Etiquette for professional success. The HBC masterclasses are one not to miss this 2021. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/hbc-series/

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

In commemorating International Women’s Day 2020 which was themed EachforEqual #GenerationEquality, WISCAR streamed the informative Documentary Money Marriage produced by Shucks Media. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/international-womens-day-celebration/

COVID 19 OUTREACH

WISCAR rallied members of its community to support our COVID-19 Relief efforts. We implemented various feeding and food provision programmes across three states in Nigeria; Lagos, Rivers and the FCT, partnering with various organizations to ensure all of our interventions reached the targeted beneficiaries. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/covid-19-fundraising-drive-outreach/

IMPACT REPORT

We launched our impact report, showcasing our growth and impact over the past 11 years. Read the report-
 
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WISCAR-Impact-Report_-June-2020.pdf

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH WOMEN IN CORPORATE CAREERS SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE

In September 2020 as part of the activities marking the 75^th anniversary of the United Nations WISCAR hosted 2 panel discussions in collaboration with Social Good Lagos on the theme;
 
Shaping Her Future” the successes, challenges and solutions for the next generation of women. You can watch both sessions below.
https://youtu.be/cPOvmwvuBww

https://youtu.be/OrCgdYqWD_I

MENTORING WALK

In November 2020 adhering to the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, WISCAR executed our first ever Virtual Walk to flag off the WISCAR Annual Conference. As a community we took over 1,000,000 physical steps as we walked towards our desires for the future we want. Learn more-  https://wiscar.ng/virtual-walk/

ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS; MEET-A-WISCAR

Our roundtable session was one of the highlights of our Annual Leadership Conference. To know more about our speakers-
https://wiscar.ng/programmes/round-table-sessions/

Learn more on the Round table session-
https://wiscar.ng/2020-almc-communique/

2020 BROCHURE

Take a look at our 2020 end of year brochure-
 
https://wiscar.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/wiscar-2020-brochure-iv-copy.pdf

We kicked off the new year, in January inducting our 12^th stream of mentees into our School of Excellence, our flagship structured competency based development programme. Learn more- https://wiscar.ng/programmes/win-i-and-ii/

The post WISCAR turns 13! appeared first on WISCAR.

EVENT COMMUNIQUE

Introduction and Overview

The 2020 Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) Virtual Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference was successfully held on Saturday 28^th November 2020 from 2.15pm to 6.45pm. The theme of the conference was “THE FUTURE WE WANT’’. With over 800 (Eight Hundred) delegates in attendance from across Nigeria, the Continent, Europe and the US, it was a truly a global event. Conference delegates were drawn from the Corporate World, Enterprise, Government, Development, and the Civil Society Sectors.

Opening and Goodwill Messages.

 The conference kicked off with the observance of one-minute silence for all those lost in this COVID year. A special rendition of Nigeria’s National Anthem by Opera Singer Ranti Ihimoyan formally opened the conference.

We were indeed privileged to have distinguished personalities honour us with their presence at this virtual conference to provide Goodwill messages as follows;

Madam Zainab Ahmed Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning. In her goodwill message the Hon. Minister called for a future where more women occupy meaningful leadership positions across all sectors, a future that reflects our collective efforts to empower, uplift and create space for the next generation of women leaders. She congratulated WISCAR on the successful convening of the 2020 conference.

Mr. Atedo Peterside Founder & Chairman, ANAP Business Jets Ltd. In his message Mr. Peterside stated that the Future he envisioned is one where women take their rightful place in leadership roles. He stated that the COVID 19 pandemic had showcased that countries with women as Head of States had

handled the crises better. He also stated that from his experience of working with women that they tended to perform with more honesty, higher integrity, and more discipline. In so saying he charged all women and youth to keep with the spirit of the times and the social activism awakening brought about by the recent End SARs protests to ensure their representation in all critical areas of governance, political life and leadership.

Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede Founder & Chairman African Initiative for Governance in his message commended WISCAR for the outstanding contributions in preparing women for nation building. He stated that Nigeria will experience massive improvement when women are more involved in government and leadership roles. He concluded with an inspirational quote “When sleeping women wake, mountains move”.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka The Executive Director, UN Women was next in this distinguished line up. In her goodwill message she encouraged and inspired the youth that where they start in life need not be where they end up. She charged the youth that the world was their oyster as they were Generation Equality.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, 2018 Distinguished WISCAR Award Recipient and Founder Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Leadership Centre for Women & Development, delivered the final goodwill. She joined the call for a future free of misogyny and a vibrant economy in which women and youth are well represented in politics, public service and the private sector. She imagined a future in which women in the rural areas and informal sector have equal rights and access to land, credit and to technology. She called for a future of good governance, one where girls can be assured of education, healthcare and full participation in all areas of society. She called on women to be part of the change, because their time has come.

Citation and Fireside Chat

The highlight of the Conference was the Keynote Fireside with the Founder and Chairperson of WISCAR Amina Oyagbola and Dr. Ngozi Okonko-Iweala CFR. This was preceded by a specially curated citation of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s distinguished career and achievements.

Mrs. Oyagbola formally welcomed Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the Chairperson GAVI, and Nominee for the position of DG World Trade Organization to the convening. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala congratulated WISCAR for the convening of the conference and the excellent work in the promotion of gender equality in Nigeria and the world at large. In her conversation with the Founder she shared, her early life experience that started her on the path to a remarkable 35year career. She stated that the challenges she encountered in her career were mitigated with the support of a strong network of family, great colleagues and sponsors, here she emphasized the Presidents under which she served in her various roles as Minister of the Federal Republic. When asked about her career motivations she responded that her focus had always been driven by development and impact.

She shared her experience on women navigating the “Glass Labyrinth” a term which was emphasized in her book Women and Leadership which she co- authored with former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard. She expatiated that women more often than men have to navigate situations akin to a glass labyrinth, glass cliff or glass ceilings as they move up the career ladder. In describing these various scenarios, she advocated more support for women in careers by those in positions of power especially the He for She’s.

In outlining what critical steps or policy changes we must take as a nation to help advance the contribution of women and youth to our economy and social development, she set the context with statistics which showed the disappointing representation of women in governance and leadership roles

• Globally only 7% have women as Head of
• Globally 1 out 4 parliamentarians is a
• In Nigeria only 5-7% of parliamentarians are women and just 16% hold cabinet
• Only 6.6 % of fortune 500 companies have female CEO’s.

She then highlighted some of the solutions to changing these statistics including importance of increased female political representation, women organizations unifying to support women who aspire to political positions by providing financial, moral and mentoring support. She also charged women to be their sister’s keeper. She commended the Nigeria youths for their creativity, intelligence and energy in driving for the future they want.

Still in conversation, with the Founder of WISCAR Amina Oyagbola, Dr. Okonjo- Iweala stated the need to create a transparent government and stable economic environment to enable the youths thrive and empower themselves as they are indeed the future of Nigeria.

In a rich fire-side conversation jam-packed with so many inspirational nuggets Dr. Okonjo-Iweala charged participants to be true to themselves, exhibit self- confidence, a sense of purpose and vision, and then take considered risks in pursuing that vision.

PRESENTATION OF THE DISTINGUISHED WISCAR AWARD

Following an insightful and inspirational session, the 2020 Distinguished WISCAR Award was presented to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala in recognition of her outstanding contributions to building a better world and her advocacy for good governance, health care and women empowerment. The Award was received on her behalf by the Chairperson of the WISCAR 2020 Conference Planning Committee Folake Ani-Mumuney.

In her response Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed her delight at receiving the award and thanked the Board and Management of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment. She stated that the award was particularly special as it was coming from her own country and bestowed by an organisation with women’s empowerment at its core. She thanked all the young men also in the room and encouraged them to keep supporting women.

Following the presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award, the Founder’s Address a central part of the WISCAR convening was delivered.

The Founder’s Address

Amina Oyagbola once again thanked participants for being such a great online audience. She subsequently took the audience through the highlights of the WISCAR year;

She recognised the 11th stream of mentees, 28 graduates from the 12-month WIN I & II programme. She also announced the successful launch and completion of the WIN 3 program with 13 brilliant young women aspiring to Executive Management positions.

She further announced the collaboration with UN Women Nigeria to deliver the Beijing +25 inter-generational Mentoring programme. This project provided world class mentoring to a group of 25 exceptional young women. She thanked all the resource persons and Mentors who had contributed to the successful execution of the various programmes in the course of the year and the WISCAR Secretariat for superb delivery. She celebrated all the esteemed Advisory Board Members and the leadership of the Chairs of WISCAR’s sub-committees.

She expressed gratitude to all the speakers and panellists who had very graciously accepted WISCAR’s invitation to inspire and empower others by participating in the event. She specially thanked the keynote speaker, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for acknowledging the important work that WISCAR is doing and for gracing the occasion with her esteemed presence.

She expressed her sincere appreciation to all the 2020 Donors and Sponsors for their generous financial and in-kind support in an exceedingly difficult year, and all donors who have supported WISCAR in the past.

She concluded by describing the future that WISCAR envisaged and would work towards in the years ahead. She described a future in which every one of us will be champions of equality; a future in which all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls will have been erased from our society; A future in which every citizen can aim for the stars without regard to gender, economic position, age, race or ethnicity. A future of good governance and the spirit of giving, and a future where we recognise that it will take everyone working collectively to achieve that future that we all desire.

Inspirational Talks

The next segment of this rich online programme was inspirational talks by a spoken word performance artist and two WISCAR Alumni.

Maryam Bukar Hassan delivered a specially written and inspired spoken word performance on the conference theme ‘THE FUTURE WE WANT’’. Her words emphasized the magnificence and conviction when women cease opportunities and wait on no one to create the future they want but instead armed with self- belief, and courage take on those bold visions because the future is Now.

WISCAR Alumni Folake Owodunni and Morolake Ojuola, respectively shared their transformational experiences being a part of the WISCAR mentoring programme. They testified of the structured mentoring programme as an enabler and direct contributor to their global success. They both emphasized on a future where young women and girls can achieve their full potential, and an equal and enabled world with access to quality role models and mentors.

Plenary Session/ Key Learnings/ Recommendations

The event had one plenary session with the theme The Future we Want: An Action Plan for Accelerated Development and the Role of Women & Youth as a Growth Multiplier. The distinguished panellists were; Monica Musonda Founder/CEO JAVA Foods Zambia, Shola Akinlade Co-Founder/CEO Paystack; Yewande Sadiku CEO Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, and Fred Swaniker Founder   African   Leadership   Academy.   The   discussion   was   moderated by Kadaria Ahmed, award winning journalist and CEO Dara Media.

Key Learnings from the plenary session;

• Africans need to re-think their own educational system and not follow the status quo. It is important for everyone to think differently, and be willing to try new things
• Create an education system that is not dependant on the scarce resources of teachers and professors but one that is based on an abundant system built on youth, where they can teach each other with the available
• Be focused, consistent and believe in yourself
• It is important for everyone aspiring to have career longevity to have both male & female supporters
• Women entrepreneurs should be clear on their’ ask to government with regards an enabling environment, in other to move the dial forward. They should also learn to evaluate their businesses to ensure
• We all need to challenge our policy makers and champions of women empowerment with concrete action and demands with regards our expectation, and articulate the outcomes we want and
• It is important to get the right quality of social and intellectual capital in the public sector to enable us see real change
• Government should create the rules, provide mechanisms for enforcement and regulation and then get out of the
• Government should create an enabling environment to drive private sector innovation around

A unique feature of our first ever virtual conference was our roundtable sessions, with the opportunity for delegates to be mentored by 14 remarkable mentors from within the WISCAR network.

Round Table Session

Our distinguished mentors in the intimate break-out sessions shared their career journey, challenges and success stories. The sessions were interactive and delegates had the opportunity to ask their burning career questions.

Our distinguished round table hosts were; Comfort Lamptey Representative of UN Women to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Suzanne Iroche Director Strategic Alliance Promotion Company Ltd, (Former MD/CEO FinBank PLC), Adenike Ogunlesi Founder & Chief Responsibility Officer of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, Munira Shonibare CEO and Founder of IO Furniture, Folake Ani-Mumuney Chair FBN Insurance Brokers, Bukola Smith Executive Director, Business Development FCMB, Funke Amobi Country Head, Human Capital for Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Habiba Balogun Principal Consultant Habiba Balogun Consulting Limited, Tokunboh George- Taylor Managing Director Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Eyono Fatayi-Williams General Manager, External Relations Nigeria LNG Limited, Temitope Jemerigbe Chief Executive Officer DKK Nigeria, Lola Esan Director Ernst & Young, and Ibukunoluwa Oyedeji Chief Financial Officer of Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

Conclusion and Appreciation

The Conference concluded with the graduation of WISCAR’s three cohorts of Mentees for the year 2020, from the WIN 1 & 2 and WIN 3 Programmes of the WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme and the UN Women Beijing +25 Inter- generational mentoring programme.

Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, WISCAR Advisory Board Member and Chair of the 2020 Conference Planning Committee and Fabia Ogunmekan WISCAR’s Executive Secretary gave the vote of thanks with special appreciation to Distinguished Keynote Speaker Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the keynote panellists, all our speakers.

They thanked all WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the 2020 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference a memorable and glittering success.

Our 2020 Corporate sponsor line up was made up of the following organisations;

First Bank, Pacific Holdings, Central Bank of Nigeria, FCMB, Stanbic IBT, Nigerian LNG, I HS , FBNQuest, Sterling Bank, UBA Foundation, Shell, Mainone, Oyagbola Chanbers, Ruff & Tumble, DKK Media, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, AKMS Consulting and Wild Fusions.

The event was excellently compered by organisational effectiveness consultant and social justice activist, Habiba Balogun.

Advocacy & Policy Recommendations from the Panel and Keynote

1. Gender Inclusivity, Women economic empowerment and Women’s political participation.

Following the discussions of the panel and the keynote speaker, we note that there is a lot more that can be done to create more gender inclusive economies, for which the business and political case has already been made. Current statistics cited during the fireside inform that;

• Globally only 7% of countries have women as Head of
• Globally 1 out 4 parliamentarians is a
• In Nigeria 5-7% of parliamentarians are women and 16% hold cabinet positions.
• Only 6.6 % of fortune 500 companies have female CEO’s.

In a country where over half of its population is female, we understand that in order to make progress that there must be political appetite for change. The correlation between political will and progress of women’s participation and inclusivity was highlighted at the conference during the goodwill messages by Mr. Atedo Peterside and Mr. Aig-Imouhkuede when they expressed confidence in female leadership and what they bring to the table from their experience when they choose to claim their rightful places in positions of leadership and governance.

WISCAR thus advocates for the establishment and enforcement of gender inclusive policies especially within politics to enable women to take their rightful place as co-developers in nation building in elected offices in 2023. WISCAR demands the implementation of the 35% female participation in political and appointive positions in line with the recommendation of the Nigeria Gender Policy. Towards the attainment of this goal of inclusivity and equal representation WISCAR calls for the adoption of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.

     2.     Education

We advocate for improvements in our education system with emphasis on innovation. WISCAR is especially concerned about ensuring that no child is left behind in terms of access to education. In this regard WISCAR advocates for the ratification and codification of the Child Rights Act in all 11 States where it is yet to adopted. In the states where it has been enacted we call for enforcement mechanisms to be put in place to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected by these laws. We advocate that all girl children are afforded the opportunity for a competing chance at life through comprehensive access to education in the primary and secondary school years. We condemn forced and early marriage in all its iterations and call for an immediate criminalisation of these acts.

3.     Gender Based Violence.

In the course of the year with the onset of COVID 19 and the lock down a shadow pandemic of epic proportions in the form of gender based violence was magnified. WISCAR calls for more awareness around the protections afforded by the VAPP ACT while applauding the opening of more Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCS) nationwide. WISCAR applauds the work of all Government agencies, and civil sector organizations working tirelessly with victims of gender based violence. As part of its contribution towards this particular issue WISCAR will donate part of the proceeds raised at this Annual Conference towards organizations that support victims of gender based violence to enable them pursue the justice that they deserve. In addition WISCAR calls for support for the recent bill against gender based violence against women in tertiary institutions which currently had 106 Senators as sponsors.

Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR) Lagos, Nigeria

December 2020 www.wiscar.ng

The post 2020 ALMC Communique appeared first on WISCAR.

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The 2019 Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference titled AN EVENING WITH WISCAR was successfully held on Saturday 23^rd November 2019 at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. The theme of the conference was “I DO NOT WALK ALONE’’. The conference was attended by over six hundred (600) delegates drawn from the Corporate world, Enterprise, Government, Development, & Civil Society sectors. Students from WISCAR Alumni’s Grow and Learn Initiative to secondary schools also attended.

OPENING REMARKS AND GOODWILL MESSAGES

The Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Honourable Commissioner of Establishment, Training & Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle formally opened the conference. Mr. Governor stated that the Conference theme “I DO NOT WALK ALONE’, was a central theme of any society and indeed the essence of governance particularly in ensuring that the citizenry do not feel alone as they work to build stability in all strata of their endeavours. He stated that there is a safety net in building alliances, and in seeking healthy mentorship and wise counsellors. He also highlighted the achievements of the Lagos State Government in its drive for gender equality and parity, with Lagos State remaining the pace setter for a record number of women in strategic cabinet positions. Mr. Governor concluded his remarks by stating that empowered women made great adjudicators and administrators whether in the public or private sphere and congratulated WISCAR on its efforts to ensure more inclusive economies through its various empowerment and capacity building initiatives.

Mr. Femi Lijadu, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in his  goodwill message  stated that women’s empowerment plays a huge role in nation building. He emphasised that it was essential to harness all available talent for national development and emphasised the uniqueness and impact of the 12-month WISCAR Mentoring program. Mr. Leonard Kange Executive Director of the Bank of Industry (BOI), representing the Managing Director of BOI, Mr. Kayode Pitan,  congratulated WISCAR on the successful convening of the 2019 Conference and stated that the development of women was part of the global agenda which included poverty eradication, financial inclusion and sustainable growth. He reported a projected growth of 26% of Global GDP where women were enabled to fully participate in the labour force at the same rate as men. He concluded that in the world we live today, it is inexcusable to speak of excluding women from all facets of socio-economic activity.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, H.E. Ms. Catriona Laing CB in her video-recorded goodwill message stated that ‘where women succeed the world succeeds’. Ms. Harriet Thompson, Deputy British High Commissioner, encouraged the next generation of women to build strong networks and make business part of their social interactions with people. She also urged women to support other women through mentorship and urged professional women to be courageous about approaching and reaching out for mentors.

INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

Two inspirational talks were delivered by Ugoma Adegoke and Peju Jaiyeoba on “The Power of Many versus the Power of One”. Both speakers in their talks emphasized that by walking with others you can go very far. Peju Jaiyeoba, a WISCAR Alumni also shared her transformational experience on the WISCAR mentoring programme as an enabler and direct contributor to her global success. The talks were interspersed with a power-packed stagecraft performance by the award-winning Executive Director of the Lagos Theatre Festival Bikiya Graham-Douglas captioned ‘’WAIT’’; her performance emphasized the importance of seizing the moment and the support of community in achieving our goals and dreams, even when the odds are against us.

THE FOUNDER’S SPEECH

 The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola welcomed participants, and in line with the conference theme:  “I DO NOT WAlK ALONE’ she highlighted WISCAR’s progress in 2019 towards gender equality and parity in line with its mission of developing women to build a better nation.  She re-capped the various initiatives and partnerships in the past year including:

• Successful deployment of the largest class of the WIN with WISCAR Programme
• Successful deployment of the open programmes in partnership with Habiba Balogun Consulting

She expatiated that in addition to our traditional programmes, WISCAR collaborated with First City Monument Bank, to build capacity and mentor 75 female entrepreneurs over a 3-month period. WISCAR also partnered with IHS Towers Limited to scale up the core mentoring programme by including 12 additional women in the Technology and Engineering fields to the WIN-with-WISCAR Programme through their TSAP initiative. Through the support of ACT Foundation, powered by Access Bank, WISCAR Alumni provided mentoring and career guidance to over 500 girls in public and private secondary schools in Lagos State. She also announced new initiatives for 2020 including the WIN with WISCAR WIN 3 programme for women in management positions seeking to break into Executive Leadership and Board Levels. She recognised the 34 outgoing mentees and their outstanding achievements, and she welcomed the 30 incoming mentees for 2020.

Amina Oyagbola stated that at WISCAR we have only achieved what we have because many have joined hands with us. She emphasised the need and importance of togetherness, networking and building strong alliances of community and partnerships quoting the ageless African proverb that “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.  She thanked all the speakers and panellists who had very graciously accepted WISCAR’s invitation to inspire and empower others by participating in the event. She specially thanked the keynote speaker, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs. Amina J. Mohammed, for acknowledging the important work that WISCAR is doing and for gracing the occasion with her esteemed presence.

THE KEYNOTE SPEECH

The Keynote speech was delivered by Amina J. Mohammed OFR, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.  She congratulated WISCAR for convening a beautiful evening towards nation building both in Nigeria and globally. She elaborated that women bring so much to the table and that networks such as WISCAR create opportunities to strengthen the social fabric and provide models of success.  She affirmed that WISCAR’s mission of developing women to build a better nation was indeed the UN’s mission as well. She stated that the challenge remained to harness that collective power of community and partnerships to empower women.  She added that the pace of change in order to realize deeper impact and institutional transformation had to be accelerated particularly with the increased resistance to women’s rights; in this vein she charged the audience to ‘pushback against the pushbacks’. She reminded us all that the year 2020 was significant in many ways; 10 years towards acceleration of the SDGs, 75 years since the formation of the United Nations; 25 years post the Beijing Conference; 10 years since the formation of UN Women and yet there is still so much to be done. She was however optimistic that with the small ideas that we plant, Nigerians should be able to see our nation take the place it wants and ought to be in the league of nations.

She charged the audience that it is in minding the small things and the details, in always doing the right thing and perseverance that we can have the Nigeria that we want. She emphasized that in doing so we must keep our young women at the center of our efforts.   Mrs. Mohammed shared that her greatest influencers while growing up were her mother and grandmother and that as she grew up, she held firmly to family, colleagues, friends, and her household. She never walked alone! She further emphasized these relationships should not be taken for granted.

In conversation with the WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola, on how we can achieve a formidable community of nation developers, The UN Deputy Secretary General replied that women should make room for other women and that they should build up and mentor those further down the ladder and not be quick to write off any woman. She emphasized that this was important because once we create a space for a woman, it is easier for another woman to fill it up subsequently.

Plenary Session/ Key Learnings/ Recommendations

The event had one plenary session with the theme ‘Breaking the Glass ceiling: The power of networks, community and partnerships”. The distinguished panelists were; The Honorable Minister of State for Environment Chief Sharon Ikeazor; Honourable Tolu Akande-Sadipe, Member, House of Representatives and Policy Influencer; Cecilia Akintomide OON, Non- Executive Director FBN Holdings; Fumni Omo, MD/CEO African Alliance; and Comfort Lamptey UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS. The discussion was moderated by Frank Aigbogun, Publisher Business Day Newspapers.

Key Learnings from the plenary session;

• Be passionate and committed to what you do otherwise you cannot be successful in it.
• Know your strengths, play them up. Know your weaknesses, fill them up.
• Being a woman means you can pull through challenging circumstances because as women we have been gifted with the gift of multi-tasking.
• Ask for help when required. Never be ashamed to reach out.
• We all have our bright spots and our blind spots, but when we work as a tribe, we will realise that the whole is better than the parts. We can achieve more as a group than as an individual.
• It is important to learn to be calm in all situations. We must learn to be objective without being objectionable.
• Be focused and consistent.
• Groom yourself to be a capable and reliable. This guarantees that you will be called to the table not because you are a woman but because you are capable.
• As women we need to be brave, courageous and fearless and seize opportunities when they arise as well as create the opportunities where they do not exist.
• Women should support capable women when they step out for elective office.
• Do your work well to enable just rewards and the next level opportunity will come to you.
• Women should be encouraged to participate in politics because politics is life and life is politics.

ADVOCACY AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PANEL AND KEYNOTE

1. Gender Inclusivity and Women’s political participation.

Following the discussions of the panel and the keynote speaker, we note that there is a lot more that can be to be done to create more gender inclusive economies, for which the business and political case has already been made.  Current statistics show that only 14 out of 360 members of the Federal House of Representatives are female, and 7 out of 109 members of the Senate are women.  In a country where over half of its population is female, we understand that in order to make progress that there must be political will for change.  The correlation between political will and progress of women’s participation and inclusivity was highlighted at the conference with the example of Lagos State being a pacesetter where over 30% of commissioners are women and heading critical positions in commerce, education, establishment, poverty alleviation and the SDGs etc. In Lagos State there are 35 female High Court Judges out of 55 High Court Judges and 107 female Magistrates out of a total of 153.   WISCAR thus advocates for the establishment and enforcement of gender inclusive policies to enable women to take their rightful place as co-developers in nation building. Towards the attainment of this goal of inclusivity and equal representation WISCAR calls for the adoption of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.

2. Gender Based Violence.

The conference highlighted the increased spate of gender based violence and sexual harassment in the country, and particularly condemned the killing of Mrs. Acheju Abuh, the Women Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Wada Aro Campaign Council Ochadamu Ward in Oju LGA, Kogi State in the recent elections that took place. It is WISCAR’s position that all forms of sexual harassment and violence against women have no place in our democracy, in governance, in our homes and in our workplaces. WISCAR advocates that respect for the dignity of human life must remain at the core of our society and that every citizen man and woman must have the right to express their political preferences without fear of losing their lives. WISCAR applauds the passing into law of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition ACT (VAPP), and the opening of Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCS) nationwide.  WISCAR calls for adequate funding of the law-enforcement agencies, referral centres, and gender desks in police stations to ensure that when contravention of the law occurs perpetrators are in every circumstance apprehended and brought to justice.

3. Girl Child Education–

It was acknowledged at the conference that Goal 5 is the docking station of all the other goals. It was also highlighted that girl-child education was an important precursor to the achievement of Goal 5. WISCAR in collaboration with organizations like the ACT Foundation and Girl Force Alliance is doing its part to provide mentorship and leadership training for young secondary school girls through its Grow and Learn Initiative. While data shows a 9% decline in the prevalence of child marriage since 2003, and expects a further decline by an additional 6% in 2020, a recent UNICEF report however suggests that as a result of rapid population growth the number of child brides in Nigeria will in fact increase by more than one million in 2030 and double by the year 2050. At WISCAR we cannot allow the predicted state of affairs to manifest and, WISCAR calls for the adoption and ratification of the Child Rights Act in the 12 States where it has not being enacted, and lends its voice to the call for free and safe education for young girls from primary through secondary school which will further assist in ensuring access of young girls to a good education and enable them make healthy choices.

PRESENTATION OF THE DISTINGUISHED WISCAR AWARD

The Keynote Speaker, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Mrs Amina J Mohammed OFR was the presented with the 2019 Distinguished WISCAR Award following the reading of her citation by Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, WISCAR Advisory Board Member. The award was presented to her in recognition of her zeal for and stellar contribution to humanitarian efforts, her championship of the sustainable development goals, gender equality, good governance and as an exemplar to working women worldwide.

In her response Amina Mohammed expressed her delight at receiving the award and thanked the Advisory Board of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment. She accepted the Distinguished WISCAR Award on behalf of the resilient women of Nigeria.

CONCLUSION AND APPRECIATION

 The Conference concluded with the graduation of the 10^th Stream of Mentees of the WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme and a commitment from WISCAR to continue to advocate for more gender inclusive economic policies for the benefit of women and men, as well as the enactment and enforcement of laws and policies that promote the full participation of women in social, economic and political life.

Mrs. Bukola Smith, WISCAR Advisory Board Member and Fabia Ogunmekan WISCAR’s Executive Secretary gave the vote of thanks with special appreciation to WISCAR’s sponsors, donors and participants for making the 2019 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference a memorable and glittering success.

The event was compered by organisational effectiveness consultant and social justice activist, Habiba Balogun and Rabi Adetoro, a Human Resource business leader.

For the Board and Management of WISCAR

Amina Oyagbola                                                                                    Fabia Ogunmekan

Founder/ Chairperson                                                                                    Executive Secretary

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The WISCAR/McKinsey NGWL mentoring event held successfully on Friday 6th April 2018 at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos state and commenced at 12.25pm. The event attracted Fifty women from the corporate and entrepreneurial sector. Participants were inclusive of NGWL finalists, Mentors and staff of WISCAR and McKinsey staff. The event presented a unique opportunity for the NGWL finalists to meet with high profile female CEOs and Executives from the rich WISCAR Mentorship network. The NGWL programme targets female talent across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The participants are students and experienced professionals in diverse career lines who seek to develop and explore their leadership potential.

Welcome, Keynote Address and WISCAR Introduction

The welcome address was delivered by Mr. Rogerio Mascarenhas who stated that McKinsey exists to support clients to be successful and create an environment to attract and retain the best talent in the world. He further stated that the organisation is making effort to eradicate the gender barriers that exist in the workplace by recruiting at least 50% female talent to the organisation. Mrs Topsy Kola-Oyeneyin (Associate Principal, McKinsey & Company) delivered the Keynote speech. In her speech, Mrs Kola-Oyeneyin encouraged participants to have clarity on what they want to achieve in life so they can recognise and grab opportunities when they come. She also encouraged participants to pursue personal and career development so they can perform better at whatever job they find themselves. Following the keynote speech was a brief introduction of WISCAR by the Founder & Chairperson, Mrs Amina Oyagbola. She stated that WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers) is a non-profit organization focused on empowering and developing professional women to contribute to development and growth in Nigeria and indeed Africa. The WISCAR brand stands out as a result of the visible and concrete results recorded in the last ten years of strategic mentoring and provision of an excellent opportunity for personal and professional development for young career women. She encouraged participants to join the WISCAR network to benefit from the highly structured WIN-with-WISCAR mentoring programme.

2017 NGWL Winner/Group Discussions

The 2017 winner of the NGWL programme, Mrs Sakirat Olabisi Adenuga was introduced and briefly explained her experience as the winner.

The event also featured a panel discussion which had the panellists share their best and most challenging experiences in the workplace and how they managed to overcome those challenging experiences. The panel had WISCAR Advisory Board Member Mrs Suzanne Iroche (CEO, Marnaby Ltd), WISCAR Advisory Board Member Mrs Toki Mabogunje (Principal Consultant, TMC and Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Mrs Ayo Megbope (Founder & CEO, No Leftovers Nigeria Ltd), Mrs Yemisi Odunsanya a.k.a Sisiyemmie (Food & Lifestyle blogger), Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji (Founder, Rise Networks), who provided strategic career advice to the participants while sharing their personal experiences.

Below are some highlights from the panel discussions;

• Your accomplishments are only as good as the many lives you are able to touch.
• Always do your best when you are given an opportunity to serve in any capacity.
• Learn to handle yourself professionally in difficult situations. Emotional intelligence is key to career advancement.
• Do not limit yourself to the role assigned to you in your job description instead volunteer for extra work to gain more knowledge and acquire new skills.

Strategic Group Discussions

Following the panel discussion was strategic group discussions on the topics; Coaching Other Women, Work-Life Balance, Getting Your Vision Across, Growing from Passion To Business, Overcoming Biases in The Workplace and Having Difficult Conversations/Feedback. The group discussions gave the participants an opportunity to engage deeply with the WISCAR mentors and ask critical questions on how to navigate through career pathways, achieve their objectives, foster their ambitions as well as live their dreams.

Final Remarks

The closing remark was made by Mrs Amuche Okeke-Agba (Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company). Mrs Okeke-Agba in her remark reiterated some quotes that stood out for her during the panel discussion. Some of the quotes include;

• Lose sight of what you do not have and keep focus on what you have.
• Humility opens the door of opportunities. Make allies with people who know the work better than you.
• True success is not about how much money you make but the impact you make in the lives of others.
• Speak words of affirmation to the people around you to validate them, it helps.
• A woman is like a teabag, you do not know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
• Do not give up your strength by believing you do not have it.

Closing
The event closed at 3.45pm. In pursuance of the WISCAR goal to empower and develop women leaders towards development and growth in Nigeria, WISCAR continues to collaborate with McKinsey to develop the next generation of women leaders for nation building.

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The Conference highlighted the achievements of WISCAR and the strides the organisation has made over the years in developing and empowering over 5000 professional women and men in contributing to economic development and nation building in Nigeria and Africa through mentoring and advocacy for equal opportunities for women in the workplace.

Welcome, Goodwill Message and Keynote Address

The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, gave the welcome address where she thanked all the attendees for gracing the occasion and stated that the 10th anniversary celebration theme, “Developing Women to Build a Better Nation” highlighted the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for women to contribute to the growth and development of the nation by excelling in their chosen careers. This was immediately followed by the Goodwill Message by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule who commended WISCAR for championing the cause of career women all over the country. She stated that the role of women in nation-building cannot be over-emphasized and that the Lagos State Government commended the role that organisations like WISCAR continued to play in nation-building. She stated that the Lagos State Government was committed to fostering policies that would ensure that gender-based abuse in and out of the work-place is eradicated.

The Keynote speech was delivered by Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson, Chairperson, Global Alliance for Affordable Internet (AAI) & former Minister of Communication and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Speaking on the conference theme, Dr. Johnson highlighted the need for men and women to come together to challenge the marginalization of women in the various spheres of the society, as this was not a cause that women alone could bring about. She encouraged women to be their sisters’ keepers reminding them of the popular adage “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together’, suggesting that more strides can be achieved where women support and collaborate with each other.

More light was shed on the theme and keynote address by the keynote panellists; Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Co-founder African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF); Mrs. Udo Okonjo, CEO Fine & Country; Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, Deputy Governor of Lagos State and chaired by Mrs. Amina Oyagbola. Contributing to the discussions Mrs. Udo Okonjo commented that women amongst other leadership skills including the natural ability to multitask, also have highly developed emotional intelligence, an essential skill for a productive work environment.

Her Excellency, Dr. Adebule emphasised that women should own the required change process by commencing with eradicating gender bias in the home thus ensuring that regardless of gender girls and boys are brought up to share equal responsibilities in the home. Erelu Bisi Fayemi stated that one of the most important things for women to do is to teach the girl child to the extent that she becomes confident in herself and her gender without feeling inferior to her male counterpart. She further stated that the girl child should be taught to aspire and dream big and not to limit herself by what society throws at her. Dr. Johnson supported the discussions stating that CEOs in the workplace should actively encourage and mentor women to maximise their full potential, while guarding against unfair practice and discrimination on the basis of gender that may serve to limit that growth.

Plenary Sessions/ Outcomes/ Recommendations
The event also had two plenary sessions discussing “Breaking The Barriers To Getting Top Jobs and Staying There” and “Does Equal Opportunity Drive Economic Success and Profitability?” with the following panellists; Mrs. Peju Adebanjo (Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture, Ogun State), Ms. Kemi Onabanjo (Engagement Manager, SSA Mckinsey & Company), Mrs. Adesua Dozie (General Counsel, General Electric), Mr. Oluseun Abimbola (Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Oyo State) Mr. Osagie Okunbor (Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company) Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola (Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group), Mrs. Clare Omatsaye (Chief Executive Officer, JNCI Limited), Mrs. Nglan Niat (Human Resources Director, Schlumberger) Dr. Doyin Salami (Member, CBN’s monetary Policy Committee) and Mrs. Habiba Balogun (Principal Consultant, Habiba Balogun Consulting).

Key Points from the plenary sessions

– Mentors are essential in getting to the top of one’s career, and mentors are those people who would give candid sound advice as well as the necessary support for one to make an advancement in their career.
– A strong family support system is also key to career advancement.
– Women must support each other in the workplace and beyond.
– It is possible to have it all but certainly not at the same time. The various stages of life come with their various challenges and successes, and the most successful career professionals both men and women view work and life along the same continuum.
– Equal opportunities within the workplace would definitely support the acceleration of women’s careers.
– Every organisation should implement gender-friendly policies in the workplace so a woman is not forced to choose between her family and her career at any transition stage of her life.
– Not every woman wants to be a CEO, however it is best for a woman to be allowed to make that choice by herself and this should not be imposed on her because of lack of equal opportunity
– Whether a woman or a man, ensure that the voices you listen to are the ones that encourage you to aspire to be a better you.

Recommendations

– More men should be invited to fora that discuss issues on gender equality to have a balanced perspective and also get more men to join the cause. – Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company
– Nigerian Economic Summit Group to collaborate with WISCAR at the NESG roundtable on gender issues to advocate for gender parity and equal opportunity for men and women. – Mr Jaiyeola Laoye, Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

Presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award

One of the highlights of the event following the reading of a remarkable career citation was the presentation of the 2017 Distinguished WISCAR Award, to Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson for upholding the good face of womanhood and being a role model for others to follow. Dr. Johnson expressed her delight at the award and thanked the Advisory Board of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment.

Conclusion and Appreciation

The WISCAR 10th Anniversary Leadership Conference concluded with the graduation of the 2017 Stream 8 of the WIN-with-WISCAR. The WISCAR Alumni Network also launched the WISCAR Grow and Learn Initiative (WISCAR GLIN), an initiative borne out of a deep commitment to create more opportunities to progress WISCAR’s ideals and add value to the younger generation of women who are currently in school and are looking forward to becoming successful in their current and future endeavors.

Mrs. Tope Jemerigbe, Managing Director of DKK Nigeria, congratulated WISCAR for the all the achievements and successes recorded over the years and thanked all the sponsors and participants for making the 10th Anniversary event a huge success.

Mrs. Amina Oyagbola

Chairperson/Founder WISCAR

The post WISCAR 10th Anniversary Leadership and Mentoring Conference appeared first on WISCAR.

The objectives of the series were;

• To enlighten women on the power they have to influence and contribute to our Country’s decision-making process.
• To encourage participants to commit to the various calls to action raised at the event.
• To create awareness on the various ways women can participate in governance and to encourage women to get involved and actively participate as citizens.
• To challenge and dispel the institutional and cultural barriers that have discouraged women from actually participating in politics.
• To make the case for progress and national development when women and youth are actively included in governance and politics.

Welcome and Keynote Address
The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, gave the welcome address. She stated that the event aimed at driving conversations on how to create an enabling environment that enables women to aspire to positions of leadership in governance and politics. She explained that this was particularly important because the opportunities to promote and enforce gender related laws and policies can only happen when we have women in governance leading and pushing the agenda.

The Keynote address was delivered by Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello. In her address, she shared personal stories on the significant role her mother, the late Kudirat Abiola played in the journey to secure a peaceful transition to democracy for Nigeria. The story of her mother demonstrates the critical role of women in our polity and the enormous influence women can have when enabled and empowered to the benefit of both men and women.

Presentations & Discussions.
The presentations were delivered informally in a ted-talk format and the 4 distinguished guest speakers gave insights on the following topics:

1. ‘Making Our Voices Count- Exercising Our Right to Vote’ – Yemi Adamolekun, Enough is Enough Nigeria
2. ‘The Citizen Advocate’ – Habiba Balogun, Lagos Chapter Bring Back our Girls
3. ‘Strength in Numbers’ – Changing the Status Quo- Abosede George-Ogan, Women In Politics NG
4. ‘Citizenship and Political Participation’ – Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Rise Networks

The event was also attended by two formidable women in politics. Dr. Rosemary Elishama Ideh one of the 2019 female Presidential Aspirants, and Mrs. Bolanle Sarumi- Aliyu the only female 2019 Governorship Aspirant for Oyo State, both walking the talk.

Key points from the panel discussions include;

• Whenever women refuse to be counted, they leave themselves open for relegation to the background and invariably give the platform to their male counterparts on a platter of gold.
• Demand accountability and transparency from Government.
• We may complain till the cows come home. If we do not step up and take responsibility for the change we want to see, nothing will change.
• Having a girl child is as important as having a male child. We must change the African narrative that places more value on men over women.
• Women must rise above their personal and superficial differences to actively support one another.
• There is ultimately strength in numbers.
• There is an urgent need to document our stories. We must document women’s successes and the stories of our heroes and role-models to inspire others.
• If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.
• We must stay focused on our goal to make Nigeria great again.
• Women must go into politics as a community and as a team and stand together. Together, We Achieve More!
• We want to live in a country where the safety and security of life and property of all citizens is taken seriously.
• In our homes, we need to start raising boys who are brought up to respect girls.
• We need to frustrate tradition with creativity, by bringing our uniqueness, sensitivity, skill, strength, vigour and compassion to the table to transform our Nation.
• We are all standing on the shoulders of strong women in history who have fought fearlessly to give us a voice and we must step forward, actively participate and get involved in governance.

You can get actively involved by;

1. Getting your PVC & Voting
2. Contesting for a political office
3. Financially supporting credible female political aspirants or a leader of your choice
4. Promote the activities of women through social media
5. Joining a Political Party
6. Taking up political appointments
7. Join the movement to promote inclusive governance

Call to Action
The following were the agreed calls to action;

1. Join a Political party
2. Get your PVC & Use it Wisely
3. Join the movement- Support a Woman contesting for a Political Position
4. Your Inaction is already an Action. Get Engaged & Be actively involved.
5. When a Woman Wins Everybody Wins – Support a Woman in Politics today!

Lessons from The Film 50/50.

In the course of the event a 20minute short-film 50/50 was shown to rousing applause. Below are a few of the lessons from the film;

• Women need mentors. A mentor is someone who helps somebody else find their own path, and mentors are all around us.
• Power is leadership but also love, empathy, and the opportunity to find your own path.
• If we want to be alive to witness a more equal world, we have to accelerate the pace of change.
• When you get to the top of the mountain, take in the view, you’ll see that there’s room enough to pull the next the woman up.

Conclusion and Appreciation
Our venue partners Access Bank W Community, represented by Ms. Abiola Nejo presented copies of the Power of 100 to the Keynote Speaker expressing appreciation for her work and that of her mother as captured in the book. Notices and information around applications for the 2019 WISCAR Mentoring programme, the Annual Conference scheduled for the 24th of November 2018 and call for support for WISCAR was taken by the WISCAR Executive Secretary Mrs. Fabia Ogunmekan. The event concluded with audience appreciation by the WISCAR Founder and presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to all the guest speakers.

Mrs. Amina Oyagbola

Chairperson/Founder WISCAR

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The 2018 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference was successfully held on Saturday 24th November 2018 at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos from 9am to 2pm. The theme of the conference was “Enriching Lives by Telling Our Own Stories’’. The conference was attended by approximately One Thousand (1000) delegates drawn from Corporate organizations, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Governance sectors as well as students from several tertiary and secondary schools.

The Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah formally opened the conference with his remarks on the role of women in nation building. The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola welcomed participants in her Founder’s Address. She said, “Storytelling has earned its place as the most important tradition humankind possesses. When we share our stories, we teach our communities how to love, how to forgive, how to be fair and just and how to strive to do better than today”. Quoting former U.S Secretary of State and former First Lady of the U.S, Hillary Clinton, Mrs. Oyagbola reminded the audience that “Women’s rights are human rights. No more no less’’. Goodwill messages were received from Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh (Ambassador of Liberia to Nigeria), Chief Obafemi Olopade OFR (Elder Statesman), Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill (International Diplomat, Corporate Relations Specialist and Chair Nelson Mandela University Council), Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Mohammed (President of the Institute of Directors Nigeria) and Dr. (Mrs) Lola Akande (Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation) representing the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. The event was compered by organisational effectiveness consultant and social justice activist, Habiba Balogun.

Mrs. Ifeoma Fafunwa (Founder & Creative Director, iOpenEye) delivered a presentation on the theme ‘Our Stories as an inspiration to the next generation’ and an excerpt from her stage play ‘Hear Word’ was performed to the delight of participants. The performance was followed by a power-packed panel discussion on the topic; “Custodians of Our Own Legacy; The Power of Role-modelling and Mentorship in Shaping Our Stories’’. The distinguished Panellists were; Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill, Aishah Ahmad (Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria), Hadiza Bala Usman (Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority), Kofo Akinkugbe (Managing Director/CEO, SecureID Group), Polly Alakija (Chairperson, Lagos State Council of Arts and Culture). The discussion was skilfully moderated by Tunji Lardner (Global TED Fellow & Founder, WANGONET). Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Former President of Liberia and First democratically elected Female President in Africa) delivered a well-articulated and inspiring keynote address on the theme, ‘Enriching Lives by Telling Our Own Stories’, which was followed by a conversation with the Founder of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola to deep dive into her extraordinary journey and story. Following the very rich conversation, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was presented with the 2018 Distinguished WISCAR Award. President Johnson Sirleaf said, ‘’If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. Women and Girls; Find your voice.’’

The Conference highlighted the importance of role modelling and mentorship by successful women leaders as a gift to the next generation in nation-building. Participants were engaged and inspired by the great stories shared. The conference also highlighted the benefits that accrue to communities, organizations and the nation when women are empowered and given an equal opportunity to participate in the workplace and in society.

Welcome, Goodwill Message, Keynote Address and Conversation with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, gave the welcome address where she thanked all the attendees for gracing the occasion and stated that the theme chosen for the conference “Enriching Lives By Telling Our Own Stories” resonates with WISCAR’s practices, methods and beliefs. ‘’The theme fully echoes WISCAR’s exemplary model. WISCAR has always prized the voices of confirmed successful women as catalysts for the growth and progress of up and coming mentees. Treading in the footpaths of those who have gone before us is a certain map and navigator to any destination because when those who have finished a journey tell us of their travails and triumphs we know which turns to take and which ones to avoid.’’ This was immediately followed by Goodwill Messages by Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh (Ambassador of Liberia to Nigeria), Chief Obafemi Olopade OFR (Elder statesman) Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill (International Diplomat, Corporate Relations Specialist and Chair of the Nelson Mandela University Council) and Dr. (Mrs) Lola Akande (Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation) on behalf of the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. The Goodwill messages recognised and commended the exemplary achievements of the keynote speaker and the role of WISCAR in creating and sustaining a positive impact in the lives of women through the flagship WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme.

The Keynote speech was delivered by Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia and First democratically elected Female President in Africa. Speaking on the theme: ‘Enriching Lives by Telling Our Own Stories’’, Madame Johnson Sirleaf highlighted that lasting transformation cannot be achieved by leaders alone but by individuals, civil society, professional bodies and religious organizations. She stated that ‘failure is success upside down’ and encouraged the audience to have the courage to fail and let failure strengthen their resolve to succeed. She further encouraged women to find their voice and let their voices be heard and stated that it was important for women to participate at all levels of societal endeavour including politics. She buttressed the point by stating that Liberia’s journey to peace was carried on the backs of women. Responding to a question during her conversation with WISCAR Founder Amina Oyagbola on how she would wish to be remembered Madame Johnson Sirleaf stated, ‘’I wish to be remembered for breaking the barriers for women to attain top leadership positions in Africa and for giving Liberia a change from despair to hope’’.

Plenary Session/ Key Learnings/ Recommendations

The event had one plenary session with the theme “Custodians of Our Own Legacy; The Power of Role-modelling and Mentorship in Shaping Our Stories” with the following panellists; Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill (International Development Expert & Chairperson of the Council, Nelson Mandela University), Aishah Ahmad (Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria), Hadiza Bala Usman (Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority), Kofo Akinkugbe (Managing Director/CEO, SecureID Group), Polly Alakija (Chairperson, Lagos State Council of Arts and Culture). The discussion was moderated by Mr. Tunji Lardner (Global TED Fellow & Founder, WANGONET).

Key Learnings from the plenary session

– Success in a male dominated sector is not achieved by struggling with the men but by being the best at what you do.
– Know your strengths, play them up. Know your weaknesses, fill them up.
– You need to own your story no matter how unexciting you think it is.
– It is okay to ask for help when required.
– Adequate workplace policies that will afford women the flexibility they require in creating a balance between their family commitments and their careers need to be put in place in order to allow women to grow through the ranks and not fall through the cracks.
– It is not just about your destination but also about the role you have right now and the impact you are making with the role.
– Women who reach top leadership positions owe a responsibility to initiate and drive through favourable policies that make the journey less arduous for those who are coming behind.
– Be a capable person and you will be called to the table not because you are a woman but because you are capable.
– As women we need to be brave, courageous and fearless and seize opportunities when they arise as well as create the opportunities where they do not exist.
– Do your work well for the works’ sake and the next level opportunity will come to you.

Advocacy and Policy Recommendations from the Plenary Sessions

Gender Inclusivity, Equity and Parity in the workplace: Following the discussions of the panel and the keynote speaker, we note that women constitute 50% of the global workforce. In addition to this we recognise that the onerous responsibility of conception and nurturing are placed in their hands, thus significant attention should be paid to their welfare, health and economic wellbeing. WISCAR advocates for more inclusive and gender friendly workplaces as this is pertinent to enable women thrive in their chosen careers and take their rightful place as co-developers in nation building. We note that the in June 2018 the Minister of Labour and Employment recognised an increase in maternity leave from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. There is however no formal Act at the Federal Government level enacted for this purpose and we advocate that this should be formalised via legislation amending the current Labour Act.

Women’s Political Participation: The conference highlighted that Nigeria is currently lagging behind other ‘progressive democracies’ with regards to the participation of women in governance. This trend notably flows from the national level down to the local government level. WISCAR thus advocates for more participation of women in politics and governance. We advocate for the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill 2011. The bill if passed legislates for a number of our advocacy agenda including provision for women of at least 35% of Ministerial positions in Nigeria’s government as well as 20% of Commissioner appointments at State level. It also provides the minimum age of marriage as 18 years.

Girl Child Education: There are currently 10.6 million out of school children in Nigeria and about 60% of these are girls. The correction of this trend demands legislation that is recognised and enforced. At the conference it was referenced that one of the reasons for the low rates of rights awareness and education of the girl child is early marriage. It was agreed that young girls need to stay in school. We are aware that the Child Rights Act 2003 was created to serve as a legal documentation and protection of Children in Nigeria. So far only 23 states and the FCT have adopted the Act in Nigeria. While data shows a 9% decline in the prevalence of child marriage since 2003, there is a need to push for the other 13 States in Nigeria to adopt the ACT in order to witness unified progress.
Free education for young girls from primary through secondary school will further assist in ensuring access of young girls to a good education. The proper implementation of the Universal Basic Education Act will impact the achievement of the SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 10 which directly address girl child education and poverty reduction. At WISCAR we advocate for the amendment of the Universal Basic ACT (UBE) 2004 to increase free education for the first 12 years incorporating primary and secondary education and Government support for the implementation of the ACT through increased funding.

Presentation of the Distinguished WISCAR Award

One of the highlights of the event following the reading of a remarkable citation of Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Muni Shonibare (CEO, IO Furniture) was the presentation of the 2018 Distinguished WISCAR Award, to Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her achievements as the first democratically elected female President in Africa and a proponent for free education in Liberia, amongst many other significant achievements. Madame Johnson Sirleaf expressed her delight at receiving the award and thanked the Advisory Board and Management of WISCAR for the esteemed conferment. She accepted the Distinguished WISCAR Award on behalf of the resilient women of Liberia and Nigeria.

Conclusion and Appreciation
The Conference concluded with the graduation of the 2018 Stream 9 of the WIN-with-WISCAR Mentoring Programme and a commitment from WISCAR to continue to advocate for gender friendly workplaces for the benefit of both women and men as well as enactment and enforcement of law and policy that promote the full participation of women in social, economic and political life. F. Boma Ayomide Alabi OON, WISCAR Advisory Board Member and Chair of the 2018 Planning Committee and the WISCAR Executive Secretary, Fabia Ogunmekan gave the vote of thanks with special thanks to sponsors, donors and participants for making the 2018 WISCAR Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference a glittering success.

For the Board and Management of WISCAR

Amina Oyagbola

Founder/Chairperson

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