In order to honor notable Nigerian women who have contributed to leadership and gender equality in the nation, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria hosted the second International Women’s Day Awards on Saturday night.
The event was organised in collaboration with the diplomatic missions and Delegations of Australia, Congo, the European Union, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, UN Women, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria.
The awards were given in categories including the Private Sector, Grassroots and Civil Society, Leadership and Governance, Media and Culture.
The winners in these categories were Priscilla Iyari, Brand and Marketing Manager, Quickteller; Aisha Zannah, a Girl-Child Activist; Grace Alache Jerry, Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association; and Filmmaker, Kemi Adetiba, respectively.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mary Beth Leonard, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria said most embassies present had gender equality and women inclusion as very prominent goals in their public diplomacy programmes.
According to her, it is through seeing role models and examples that other women can aspire to do what they want to achieve in their careers.
She emphasised that it was appropriate to highlight people who were achieving great feats to promote women, whether it be in politics, technology, or in business and arts.
“Women are at the centre of everything that you do in the development space. From promoting girls roles and education, to providing support for businesses.
“Half of the population of Nigeria is very important to the success of Nigeria, no country succeeds without the inputs of all of their citizens. So we have to remember where women are in this equation,” Leonard said.
Dame Pauline Tallen, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
While receiving the award, Tallen said the world would not be complete if women were out of activities that would lead to meaningful development.
According to her, anyone against having more women at the decision-making table is fighting against the will of God.
She dedicated the award to Nigerian women and lauded female ambassadors who had put heads together to support the cause of women.
Also, Mohamed Yahya, Resident Representative of UNDP in Nigeria described Nigerian women as “extraordinary globally,” adding that they had seen nearly every top position in the world.
In his remarks on the theme of IWD2023, “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” he noted that the world’s economic system was changing.
“The future is in digital, technology, and knowledge-based economies, and we want to make sure that Nigerian women, particularly girls, are part of that revolution,” he said.
Aisha Tofa won the Feature Award- Digitall: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality; Prince Clem Agba, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, was named the HeforShe Champion; and Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, a civil rights activist, was named the Outstanding Leader.
