Mandela Washington fellows seek better deal for women

The Mandela Washington Fellowship Association of Nigeria has stressed the need for women to have leadership roles in the rural areas of the country to promote sustainable development and advance social justice.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said this on Thursday during the foundation panel discussion on women’s empowerment.

The event held in the Ikeja Local Government Area had the theme ‘Count her in: inspiring inclusion and empowerment’.

Oluwatoni added that policymakers and stakeholders should not marginalise women’s health issues.

She said, “We have to use our gender lens to look at everything. Women, particularly those from marginalised groups such as rural women, women with disabilities, and ethnic minorities, may be underrepresented in decision-making bodies and policy forums, leading to policies that do not adequately address their needs.

“Gender bias and stereotypes among policymakers and stakeholders can lead to the marginalisation of women’s health issues or the reinforcement of stereotypes that may limit women’s access to healthcare services or influence policy decisions.

“Socioeconomic factors such as poverty, lack of education, and limited access to resources can hinder women’s participation in policymaking processes and advocacy efforts, further marginalising vulnerable groups.”

She noted that overcoming gender bias would require leadership and collaboration throughout government agencies and civil society.

“Addressing these obstacles requires sustained commitment, leadership, and collaboration across government agencies, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.

“Policymakers must actively work to raise awareness, build capacity, overcome resistance, and foster an enabling environment for creating inclusive policies that promote equity, diversity, and social justice.

“Through collaborative efforts, education, advocacy, and policy change, we can address systemic barriers, challenge discriminatory practices, and advance the well-being of all women.”

Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Staff, Hervest for Women, Ayobami Awode, noted that to close the gender gap, women in rural and urban areas need to receive equal attention.

“We cannot close the gender gap if we only focus on women in urban areas. We also have to focus on women in rural areas as well. We are willing to partner with like-minded organisations. Women need that support as much as we can.

The lead, SME, strategy and development, Providus Bank, Dami Feyide, stated that funding and market access would enable women in small and medium-sized businesses to prosper.

“MSMEs are vital to the economy. My three pillars in leading the SMEs in Providus Bank are access to the market, funding, and capacity. We have implementation partners.

“We sponsor 60 to 100 small and medium businesses every year. Our bank also funds small businesses. I will advise every business owner to have tenacity and always be ready.”

Also, some individuals awarded during the event were; Executive Director, Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative, Oladiwura Oladepo; Senior Special Assistant on Health to the Governor of Lagos State,  Dr. Oluwatoni C. Adeyemi; Founder of Nana Chillings Treats, Mustaphat Aishat; Founder of Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy, Omowale Ogunrinde ; Founder Olamma Cares Foundation, Chioma Fakorede amongst others.