By Efobi Anthonia
The 2017 Edition of MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) is set to celebrate gender friendly governors with the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose selected to receive awards in this category.
Despite the promise of the ruling government to increase the participation of females in governance, other few governors have developed gender friendly policies which have seen the female gender encouraged to take up opportunities at various significant levels of governance in their states.
Lagos State instituted legal frameworks for dealing with gender- based violence,inequality against women and girls and has since begun their enforcement and awareness creation. The Laws include: Child rights Law, Domestic Violence Law and gender policy, paternity leave rights , while Ekiti State has the most articulate gender based policy, which is protection of victims law in Nigeria. The Law provides in Section 31 for a Gender -Based Violence Fund, which provides among other things, basic material support for victims of gender-based and their dependents affected by the violence; rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of gender-based violence; construction of shelters for victims of gender-based violence in different local government areas for training and re-integration.
Some of the notable women to be inducted into the 2017 WoFHoF include; Chief (Mrs.) Nike Akande, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Siza Mzimela, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fly Blue Crane, South Africa; Sylvia Asana Owu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Shippers’ Authority.
Others are: Hon. Janet Adeyemi, President, Women in Mining (Nigeria); Priscillia Ogwemoh, Managing Partner, Olisa Agbakoba Legal; Dr. Amy Jadesimi, Managing Director, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base; Funke Agbor, SAN, Senior Partner, Adepetun Caxton-Martins, Agbor&Segun (Barr. & Solicitor); Chief (Mrs) Ijeoma Uche-Okoro, Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Transport; Dr. (Mrs.) Lucy S. Newman, Managing Director/CEO, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC); Mrs. Chinyere Annie-Okonkwo, Director, Topwide Ventures Limited.
Mr. Kingsley Anaroke, the Founder of MMS WoFHoF Initiative, while addressing journalists in Lagos recently, said the initiative is to address poverty and manpower need in different sectors of the economy as well as address the gender gap in Africa with the preoccupation of bringing to the fore mentorship of younger generation of women in Africa by helping them accomplish their dreams.
Aside arresting employment challenges, he said MMS WoFHoF Initiative would also bridge the gap between the rich and the poor through match-making of the prospective African young female professionals and leaders with accomplished big-wigs who have recorded landmark success in various fields of specialization in Aviation, Finance, Oil and Gas, Maritime and even the political field to serve as their mentors.
“We are trying to build the younger generations to be able to impact their environment. The mentorship does not just end in the classroom where you call people together talk to them and leave. We match make the mentors with the young women so that they train for at least six months. They can continue to communicate via the social media and other platforms and we make sure that they are under their mentor’s tutelage. This kind of apprenticeship system has more impact than the classroom training”, Mr. Kingsley said.
MMS WoFHoF is a non-governmental organization where African women, young graduates, students and general public at large will participate in the mentorship programme and for the young people to be successful in their various fields in oil and gas sectors, maritime, aviation, finance and political leadership.
This year’s induction, conference and award ceremony holds on October 26th at Federal Palace Hotels and Casino, Victoria Island, Lagos, by 10am prompt.
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