UNIBEN VC seeks empowerment of women for leadership roles

Prof. Lillian Salami, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin has called for continued support and empowerment of women to assume leadership roles.

Salami made the call on Monday in Benin in her address to the university’s inaugural women’s leadership conference.

It was reported that the two-day event is themed: Finding Your Spark: Breaking Your Boundaries.

The vice-chancellor underscored the imperative of breaking down barriers that held women back and create more inclusive and equitable opportunities to succeed.

“Throughout history, women, in all climes, have faced countless challenges and barriers which impede their self actualisation, dreams and goals.

“These challenges and barriers include patriarchal domination, gender inequality as dictated by social norms, denigration of women, which result in inferiority complex in most women.

“In spite of these barriers, women have continued to thread the path of success in leadership aspiration, first in their trickles, to the present day which is witnessing the blossoming of women in various fields of endeavours,” she said.

According to her, lack of representation is not only limiting the perspectives, but also the idea that ought to contribute to national growth.

She urged every woman to embrace her unique strengths and talents without underestimating the impact she could make as leader.

In her address, the Chairperson of the conference, Sen. Daisy Danjuma expressed delight that women more than before were proving their mettle in governance, politics and in the corporate world.

She said the narrative was changing because women had become more sophisticated and virulent in their aspiration, seeking of the continuation of this momentum

“Happily, the Beijing affirmative action of women representation in governance is playing out well in Nigeria and we thank our presidents and governors – past and present – for their belief in women capacities,” she said.

Sen. Danjuma called on women to show forth their gifts of compassionate hearts and organisational abilities in their homes, families, workplaces and in the society.

In her Keynote address, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, said leadership was not a position, but ability to influence others.

Ogunsola said though women were leaders in so many ways, the leadership traits should be brought into their careers.

She stressed the need for women to believe in their abilities and invest in them accordingly, claiming that the fear of “thinking I am not good enough” was one of the factors undermining women leadership in Nigeria.