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“Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” is 2022 theme for IWD but I’m not using that.

Today, MOUAU women celebrate the IWD to God’s glory. It is usually on 8th of March, a day set aside to celebrate women, our achievements, doggedness, resilience, endurance, perseverance, and feats. It is heart-warming to know that Women and girls, can aspire to be who and what they want to be through an intentional process that can “Break the bias.”   We all, men and women alike, are the proponents and promoters of bias either unconsciously or consciously. For example, when we speak about a nurse, our minds automatically think of a woman whereas, we imagine a CEO to be a man. Why can’t the reverse be the norm?

Women need to be encouraged to have a voice, be confident and engaging in all sectors through planned capacity building, excellent role modelling and mentoring systems. These ultimately, would unleash our hidden powers and potentials as game changers, playing critical roles as leaders, trail blazers in the society like Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, President, WTO, Hajiya Amina Zubair, Deputy Secretary General of UN, and Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, the richest woman in Nigeria, just to mention a few.

I have been specially privileged to work in international organizations whose focus is on investing the educational, socio-economic empowerment and improving the health indices for women and children towards the attainment of their full potentials. However, the question we need to ponder on is, for example, do girls and boys have equal access to education, work placement and opportunities? If the answer is NO, then we must address the root of these biases such as lack of adequate support, and resources, often compounded by the fact that we are not given due recognition, credit and under-valued for our rich contributions to humanity and development. These potentially results in gender inequities.

We have to change the narrative and break the bias by supporting one another and also, convincing the men to support us in order to reach the pinnacles in our respective fields. Such support is needed today to pool funds to ensure that the much-needed bus for this association is realizable. I welcome and solicit the support of all our esteemed guests to please, donate generously towards this noble objective. 

 Wife of Imo State Deputy Governor , Dr. Bola Njoku , shines in Umudike, Abia State....   As she is honoured by the women  association of the federal University . .   .. charges women  to support each other to succeed.  Women have been encouraged to support each other to attain greater heights. The Wife of the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Her Excellency , Dr. Bola Njoku stated this in an event to mark the 2022 International Women's Day celebration and Excellence Award in her honour by the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Women Association held at the University Auditorium. Her Excellency, Dr. Bola Njoku said the International Women's Day celebration was a day to celebrate the achievements, doggedness and resilience of women pointing out that breaking the bias could only be achieved through capacity building and mentorship and urged the Association to serve as a mentorship platform to enable their members to grow more in their different academic positions. The Wife of the Deputy Governor who was also the chairman of the occasion noted that the award came twenty two years after serving as the pioneer President of the Association and thanked the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe and his wife Dr. Nkechinyere  for taking bold steps to reshape the Institution and urged the women not to relent in uplifting the Association. She urged the women to remain focused and supportive as the Vice Chancellor has provided them the enabling environment to achieve more. The Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe said the University was bringing everyone together in an environment of peace and unity and commended the wife of the Deputy Governor for leaving good legacies in the University. In her address,the wife of the Vice Chancellor and the President of the Association, Dr. Nkechinyere Iwe said the theme of the recently celebrated 2022 International Women's Day"Break the Bias" was a call for action in accelerating women equality as well as challenging biases and misconceptions in the interest of creating a more inclusive and gender friendly world. The ceremony featured the Presentation of a keynote Address  entitled"Gender Equality and It's Sustainability" by the wife of the former Governor of Ebonyi state, Mrs. Eunice Egwu