Maureen Okpe
Voice of Women Conference(VOW) and Awards, a programme of the Women Radio is set to hold its seventh edition on Wednesday 25, 2023.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday and signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Women Radio, Toun Okewale Sonaiya said, VOW2023 would bring together relevant stakeholders from across Africa to the 1-day conference to share knowledge and find innovative solutions to gender imbalance in leadership and governance.
According to Sonaiya, this year’s theme, “Repositioning Women for Greater Impact,” is apt, as it is a call to action for women to reshape societal norms and framework to take on more significant roles in governance and leadership.
She said: “Although several policies, and advocacies are in place to promote gender balance, huge gaps still exist in economic empowerment and leadership.
“This is why we have invited speakers from Namibia, Kenya, Namibia and Liberia and host country Nigeria to share practical steps and strategies on Women’s Inclusion, Economic Empowerment, Ownership & Effective Allocation of Financial resources with an outcome to develop a strategic policy document to improve women’s inclusion and leadership in Nigeria.
The statement disclosed speakers for VOW 2023 event to include Vice President Kashim Shettima; H.E Chief Jewel Taylor, Vice President Liberia; Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman; Hon Maureen Hinda Mbuende, Deputy Finance Minister Namibia; Dr. Margaret Karungaru, Commissioner of national gender and equality Kenya; Mufuliat Fijabi, Executive Director Sustainable Gender Action Initiative with Chairperson H. E Erelu Bisi Fayemi.
Also, the Chairperson Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum Amb. Olufolake Abdulrazaq with Bamidele Abiodun First Lady Ogun State, HE Barrister Chioma Uzodinma First Lady Imo State, HE Mary Mauldline Nwifiru First Lady Ebonyi State and HE Hajia Zainab Nasir First Lady Kebbi State would speak on solidarity collaborations amongst the 36 First ladies on their initiatives to reposition women in their respective states for leadership and development
Side event at the conference will include session where Ministers from the four African countries will meet with their Nigerian counterparts to further discuss and chat a way forward on how to rectify the persistent gender imbalance in leadership and governance in Africa.