By Dayo Adesulu

WOMEN in academia have been urged to leverage their acquired knowledge in academics and influence women folk especially the less privileged youth in the society, to fulfill their innate potentials. Representatives of selected women in academia from Nigerian institutions in higher learning who stormed the international conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, agreed to harness their God given potentials to empower young women.

Speaking during a workshop titled; The Role of Women in Empowering Change, the Director of National Assembly Special Study Centre, National Open University of Nigeria, Professor Joy Eyisi said: “A girl child should be given the opportunity to be educated, she should go to school, she should acquire education.”

Eyisi who lamented about the rate at which the girl child is being denied education in Nigeria and some parts of Africa, urged educated females not to allow the trend persist. According to her, child bearing is not an excuse for not furthering education.

Academicprogress

The   Professor of English Language, who averred that there was a time in her early education when she was not bright, noted that the turning point was when she got  motivated by her teachers and grandmother.  After that decision to make progress academically, she noted; “In my first degree, my result was the best and in my masters degree, I was the best overall at Nnamdi Azikwe University.

”A girl child should not be denied education in her early years because she is not bright academically, but be given more time and  opportunity to be educated. If you stop learning today, you stop leading tomorrow,” she said Speaking in the same vein, Director of Gender Studies, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, Dr. Felicia Anyawu said, “I got married at 19 when I was in form three, but told my husband that he must send me to school.

“With the cooperation of my husband i finished my secondary school and went to teachers training college and he ensured that I enrolled in the university where I studied Economics. When my husband knew that I was bent on upgrading my status academically, he obliged me because that’s the only way I can have a say in the scheme of things.

“Today, I have two masters degrees, one is professional and the other is an academic masters in Banking and Finance which enabled  me proceed to get my Ph.D.  “Presently, I am an Associate Professor and the first female chairman of the Chartered   Institute of Bankers in Nigeria.”

Anyawu urged all women teaching in primary or secondary schools not to relent in acquiring knowledge that will boost competence in their various profession. She said: “Whatever the competence required in your profession, go for it because it will enhance your promotion.

“As we are addressing these inequalities, we need the cooperation of men to achieve whatever we want to achieve. The United Nations Global Standard is talking about 35 percent affirmative action, and I want to tell you that Federal Polytechnic   Nekede, has made the 35 percent affirmative action.

“I want to sound this note of warning to our dear women, clamoring for   gender equality; It does not mean you should disrespect your husband, it does not mean you should not plan your home.

You need to plan your home and be prayerful, just make your husband know you are not fighting anything, make him to understand that its all for his own good, that when you earn better income, you are in a better position to help him carry the financial responsibility of the family. Gender of course is not all about women, its all about male and female gender working together.”

Empowerment training

On her part, the Managing Director, Executive Trainers Limited,  Mrs Joke Ogunsan who organized the women empowerment training noted that she is satisfied with the outcome of the programme, noted that the maiden edition held in Dubai last year was a testament.

She said: “When  we had our first edition in Dubai, the passion grew and made me move ahead. The encouragement I had from women in higher education made me organise a special programme for women and that prompted me to have a second edition in Texas.”

Speaking on the theme,  empowering change, she posited that women as  creative agents in their various institutions should influence the society positively. According to Ogunsan, women should believe in themselves, be more creative, stand up and be catalysts.

The Managing Director who urged women to be mentors in their various institutions, said they should mentor women in their various fields so as to compete favorably with their male counterparts.

Her words: “This year there has been a lot of improvement, and it gives me a lot of joy which has really helped me continue in this noble course. I believe that men and women are created the same and should be treated as equals. I believe they can achieve whatever they want if they are focused and determined.”