Fayemi tasks women on development

The President of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and wife of Ekiti State Governor, Chief (Mrs) Bisi Fayemi, yesterday tasked Nigerian women on the need to rise to the challenge of leadership.

She said whereas the number of women in positions of authorities is still very low in the country, some of those who are in positions have not been able to utilise the positions to effect needed development. This, she said, has counted against the campaign for women empowerment.

Delivering the second Distinguished Aumni lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University Alumni Association, at Oduduwa Hall of the institution on Friday, Mrs Fayemi said it is when women embrace the principle of transformational leadership that they would pave the way for more women in government.

The lecture titled, “The politics of participation: Nigerian women and transformational leadership”, was attended by the Vice Chacellor of the university, Prof. Michael Faborode, the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Ademola Popoola, Ekiti State Commissioner for Women Development, Chief (Mrs) Funke Owoseni and the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Fola Richie-Adewusi, among others.

Mrs Fayemi said: “We cannot achieve equality for women without a focus on the specificity of women’s needs and rights.”

“As women, we need to start translating our positions of influence into positions of power. This power, however, has to be redefined differently, as not power ‘over’ but power ‘to’- power to change, transform and support.