By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that he would give women more critical role in his government with the charge to take their place as the world emerges.

The governor gave the charge yesterday, at the annual conference ‘WAPA Connect 2022′ with the theme; `The Emerging Total Woman,’ organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, held in Victoria Island.

Sanwo-Olu said in the last three years, his administration has demonstrated its commitment to harness the potentials of both the male and female genders saying that was the only way the state could achieve its full potential.

He said women face several challenges which make it difficult for them to play the role expected of them conscientiously, stressing that “the world is emerging and women must be determined and self-aware to overcome stereotypes on their potential if they are to contribute their fair quota to moving society and humanity forward.”

The governor added that in the past three and half years, his administration had developed and implemented initiatives, policies and programmes that have directly benefited women in the state.

Some of them he said, includes; skill acquisition, financial support through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, medical support to vulnerable and indigent women with special health care needs, advocacy against social vices such as sexual abuse and domestic violence, among others.

Sanwo-Olu said 65 per cent of the Permanent Secretaries in the state are women while 60 per cent of the judges in the judiciary are also women. He also said many of the cabinet members are women.

He promised to continue to give women more roles saying, “We are not resting on our oars as there is still much to be done to support our women.”

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Cecilia Bolaji Dada, said the conference was organised to bring together formidable women to form a synergy of economic sustainability, towards a better society.

According to her, “in the last three years, the state through the ministry has empowered over 65,000 women through various skills, while, 3,885 indigents and vulnerable residents were given android phones for digital marketing, milling machines, sewing machines, grillers and toasters, pop-corn machines, “among others.

According to her, several women have been trained through several initiatives in about 19 vocational centers across the state.

Wife of the governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the conference would afford women in Lagos the role they need to play to benefit from the ‘new Lagos.’

She assured women that the governor has demonstrated “he is ready to work with women by giving them prominent roles in his administration” and urged women to explore to enhance productivity.

“They should unlearn, learn and relearn,” she charged