By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Women have been urged to devote greater attention to raising their children while pursuing their careers, with the assurance that proper upbringing would ultimately yield positive rewards for families and society.

This advice was given during a Zoom meeting organised by Elegant Events to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, where participants discussed the theme: “Give to Gain” with a focus on “Navigating the pain of career and home to stand out in society.”

The convener of the programme, Mrs. Adebukola Okuneye, said the initiative was designed to equip women with practical ideas to strengthen their roles at home while remaining active contributors to society.

According to her, women must deliberately invest time, care and support in both family life and professional pursuits.

She also encouraged women to make 2026 a year of stronger collaboration and mutual support.

“Women should make 2026 a year of greater giving by supporting one another and working together to build stronger homes and communities,” Okuneye said.

One of the panellists, Councillor Yinka Adeniran, the first Black woman elected into council and the current Deputy Mayoress in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, urged women to remain independent, focused and driven in their personal and professional lives.

She stressed the importance of giving adequate attention to raising children, noting that the quality of upbringing often determines the future relationship between mothers and their children.

“A child raised well will be a great gain to the mother in the future, but children raised in neglect and excessive social distractions may later become a source of regret,” Adeniran said.

Also speaking, the Director of Administration and Personnel at Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Chief Operating Officer of Tammys Event, Mrs. Abidemi Adeyemi, noted that parenting requires patience, sacrifice and different approaches depending on the child.

According to her, mothers must be willing to make sacrifices to ensure their children grow into responsible members of society.

“Every child is different, so the approach to raising them also differs. Sometimes it may require pleading, discipline, encouragement, gifts or even prayers. The important thing is that mothers must be ready to give whatever it takes to raise good children,” she said.

Adeyemi added that the culture of giving—whether time, care or support—should be a defining trait of womanhood.

Participants who joined the virtual event from countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada described the session as enlightening and impactful.

Many said the discussion provided valuable insights into managing the demands of career and family life while striving for personal and societal impact.