From left: Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria & ECOWAS, Leena Pylvanainen. Ula Muller, UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria. Gloria Thiwet, Malaysian High Commissioner to Nigeria and Ndi Kato, Managing Director of the Dinidari Foundation, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Taye Agbaje
Some women ambassadors on Wednesday advised Nigerian women to choose mentors they trust and respect.
They spoke at an event organized by She Forum Africa and the Women Lead Forum in Abuja.
The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) reports that the show’s title is ‘Defeating adversity: thriving and stepping forward’.
Lina Pirvanainen, Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said women should see mentors as role models.
According to her, mentees should always be allowed to choose their own mentors.
“And in making that choice, women can choose men as mentors.
“It could be a man that women know and understand.
“In our system, we talked about allies and how to foster new types of alliances with men.
“But not all men can be good leaders to you, and not all women can be good leaders.
“It has to be someone you know that you can trust and respect. It takes a while,” she said.
Ula Muller, Permanent Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said mentorship needs to take into account the wishes of mentees.
“What do you really want to do? Do you want to be yourself, achieve your life ambitions, or simply seek guidance to advance your career?” she asked.
She said it’s time for women to know that “the odds aren’t ours and we have to find a way to define them.”
She said women should work to create a society that stands up for each other.
“It’s not just what we strive for, it’s what our communities, countries and the world strive for.
“We should hug each other and stop criticizing each other.
“Regardless of your rank, open the door and ask with the intention of listening, not with the intention of answering,” she said.
Like her, Nigeria’s Malaysian High Commissioner Gloria Thiwet praised the event’s organizers.
She said Nigeria is a big country compared to her country of 32 million people.
“I would say half of your population is women, which is twice the population of Malaysia,” she said.
Tiwet described Nigerian women as “hardworking and disciplined”.
Ndi Kato, executive director of the Dinidari Foundation, said there would be a noticeable difference if more Nigerian women were given quality jobs and opportunities for leadership positions.
“Nigerian women need this opportunity. We need to see more cooperation and more work with women,” she said.
Inimfon Etuk, founder of She Forum Africa, said of this year’s title, women are encouraged to double their energy to achieve the same level of achievement that men have achieved. rice field.
According to her, the world has always been said to be equal, but when it comes to practical experience and the reality of many women, equality is still very far away for women in Nigeria, the African continent, and the world.
Etuk said the conference therefore provided a platform for considering obvious priorities as we continue to aspire and work towards achieving general equality within the country and across the continent.
She urged the federal government to prioritize development for its citizens and make development a personal goal for citizens, especially women and girls.
She said the organization is a platform developed to provide mentoring support to Nigerian women.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
======
Edited by Sadya Hamza
About the author
