By Babalola Lukman Laleye
The National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists,Abdulwaheed Odusile has charged female politicians to take a cue from the laudable women empowerment programmes of Hon.Mulikat Akande.Odusile stated this at the closing ceremony of a two day Gender equity and safety training of journalists in Abuja which was sponsored by Hon.Mulikat."I want to sincerely thank Hon.Mulikat Akande,who happens to be the first female majority leader of the House of Representatives in Nigeria on behalf of the participants of the training.""She has set a pace and it would be good if other women politicians can emulate this feat to train and empower women in our society.You will agree with me that women are the drivers of our society. When you train a woman, you have made the world a better place.We can't thank her enough, but we are sincerely grateful to her." Waheed stated.He added that Nigeria would be better if more women are trained and empowered to bring development to the country."Women play vital role in our society.The more reason we can't do without empowering them.We must not relent in giving them the information and opportunity to make them better in every sphere of life.In our work place,we must empower them. In our immediate society,we must give them opportunity to serve as leaders and not always followers.The women can be better than the men if given the same opportunity men have,in every facet of the society.I once again want to thank Hon.Mulikat for this noble programme.Women should embrace their fellow women and help enrich their capacity."He also urged the participants to go as ambassadors of gender equity and safety as they go back to their media organizations.
"You have been empowered. I am happy seeing the ‘he for she’ here in the setting.The men must also be educated to know that women need same opportunity as them.I believe you all are better equipped now to go spread the news and also serve as advocates.Journalists are vital part of a society.We must show exemplary qualities and leadership for others to follow.Take the message back to your media organizations,homes and your immediate circle that,women must be treated equally and also given the same opportunity.I wish you all well." He added.Meanwhile,in her address to the participants,Hon.Mulikat Akande,the sponsor of the training commended the organizers of the progamme for putting the capacity building of women on the front burner of national discourse.“We want to construct a different world of work for women.As they grow up,girls must be exposed to a broad range of careers, and encouraged to make choices that lead beyond the traditional service and career options to jobs in Industry ,Public service,Agriculture and Science,”she said.Mulikat added that women must be encouraged to attain their best potentials.“We must encourage women to be their best irrespective of the circumstance. We must be proactive in lending our voices to help women come out of their shell and showcase their potentials.There is no way we can relegate the women to the background,we must let the men know that we are as important as they are.” “In roles where women are already under-represented and poorly paid, and with little or no social protection,we must make those industries work better for women.We need a robust economy that responds to the needs of women and gainfully employs them; provides equal terms and conditions for women’s paid work and unpaid work;and provides support for women entrepreneurs, including their access to finance and markets,” she reiterated.“Women must be at the heart of decision-making in all spheres from parliaments,the judiciary and peace-making forums to global governance institutions;from local governments to households; and from multinational corporations to small businesses.We want all decision-makers,in all spheres from heads of state,heads of governments and parliamentarians to CEOs,trade unions and party leaders to advocate for substantive gender equality.”“We want to see more women in economic leadership to ensure that women shape markets and drive economic growth.We want to see women involved in decision-making processes relating to climate change, and for women to design and implement gender-responsive climate solutions.”She added that women and men must share responsibility for determining their futures,and in building peaceful communities.She further urged the participants to take advantage of this training, while charging women to be more productive and shun any form of sentiments in the discharge of their duty.The two day training themed: Gender equity and safety for women journalists,organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ)in collaboration with the Norwegian Union of Journalists,he Federation of African Journalists(FAJ)the International Federation of Journalists (FAJ) kicked off on 25th October and ended on 26th with participants drawn from various media organizations in Abuja.
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