EbonyLife Place on Victoria Island in Lagos came alive on Friday, June 28, 2024, for the bespoke inaugural edition of GIGM Women Empowerment Series 1.0.
The empowerment series with the theme: ‘The Power of a Woman in Shaping Society’, draws lessons from the life and times of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a renowned Nigerian activist and mother of Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti.
The series turned out to be an inspiring session on community development and empowerment with selected speakers including Nollywood actress Adunni Ade, GIG Mobility CEO Enahoro Okhae, and actress and humanitarian activist, Omowunmi Dada.
In her opening remarks, actress Adunni Ade emphasized that a woman’s strength goes beyond her physical abilities on stage or in the various situations they face.
”The strength of a woman does not only lie in the muscles we show on stage or wherever we are; that power is much deeper. That power is the fire in the eyes of a young girl who dreams of becoming a doctor, engineer, architect, or actor like me.
”A woman’s courage drives her to fight for what is right even when many obstacles stand in her way. Evidence of this strength can be seen in the life of the legend Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. She was a woman of extraordinary courage who embodied the essence of what it means to shape society through strength and determination.
”It has long been said that for a woman to get half the credit that a man gets, she has to work twice as hard and twice as smart. And I dare say that we have responded to that misconception by working twice as hard and becoming twice as smart. But do we always get the credit we deserve? I would say NO. Women don’t get the credit we truly deserve, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti doesn’t have superpowers, her strength comes from her unyielding love for her country.
”He was moved by injustice in his fight to be a voice for the voiceless. He led the revolution, not with weapons but with the strength of his convictions and the strength of his spirit. “She was a pioneer in the field of education, a fierce political leader, and a tireless defender of women and human rights,” concluded the actress.
Actress Omawunmi Dada who is best known for her role as Folake in the M-Net television series ‘Jemeji’ also shared her thoughts on the leading role of women in today’s society citing the Nigerian film industry as an example.
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”I remember when I first entered the film industry it was male-dominated; women were either actors or sidelined, but now the dynamics have changed. Women are now leaders in the film industry; Bolanle Austin-Peters has revived theatre culture, Mo Abudu has raised the bar for film production while Funke Akindele has also been a successful actress and film producer.
On the impact Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti made in her time and after, Omawunmi said it would be a huge insult to describe the late activist as the first woman to drive a car.
”Growing up, the only thing we knew about Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was that she was the first woman in Nigeria to drive a car. I think that description does a great disservice to a woman as strong, passionate, and valiant as she was. She fought, she worked hard, she cried, and she sacrificed the love of her family so that women could voice their opinions today.
”Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is a mysterious person, she gives everything and she cares deeply about the plight of the women around her. He understands that life is about making the people around you better. He understands that life is for everyone and one for everyone. He also understands that there is no room for selfishness around him.
”He built generations and I think without Funmilayo the Kuti family would not have had such strong ties, especially with everything he faced with the Alake of Egbaland at the time and the clashes with the colonial government and the Nigerian government at the time. Who he was, shaped his era; who she made a leader to rise up, who she made every woman at that time put themselves in a better position.
Adding her thoughts on the true essence of GIGM Women Empowerment Series 1.0, GIG Mobility CEO Enahoro Okhae said that no one can measure the strength of a woman.
”A woman’s strength is the same as a man’s strength plus a few more things; a man can have mental strength and a woman can have mental strength. A man can have physical strength just like a woman, but the difference is that nurturing, protecting, and being in a woman’s womb for nine months is the deciding factor. A man cannot understand what labor pain is or what menstrual pain is.
”That’s why a woman’s strength is different from a man’s; the reason behind screening the film ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is that in the years to come, any of you will remember that one day you were in the hall on 28th June 2024, and I heard certain things that changed my life. We want young women to realize that behind all the weaknesses they see about women on social media, there is power that can shape society.
The post GIGM Women Empowerment Event explores Funmilayo Ransome Kuti’s legacy and lessons for women first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
