IWD: ‘We must challenge cultural beliefs that render women worthless’

The general manager of the Osun Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Mrs Funmi Aderonke Abokede, has said that certain cultural beliefs that portray women as nothing must be challenged and stopped. She urged all women to strive to be the best and force to reckon with anywhere they found themselves by demonstrating competence so […]

The general manager of the Osun Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Mrs Funmi Aderonke Abokede, has said that certain cultural beliefs that portray women as nothing must be challenged and stopped.

She urged all women to strive to be the best and force to reckon with anywhere they found themselves by demonstrating competence so as to prove such cultural beliefs wrong and worthless.

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She spoke at an event organised by the Osogbo chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) to mark the International Women’s Day.

She said the theme of the celebration: ‘Choose to Challenge’ was apt, and charged all gender-friendly people across the world to speak up against cultural beliefs that limit, inhibit and banish women from attaining certain heights in life.

Other prominent women who spoke at the event, including Professor Janet Olaitan, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Osogbo and Professor Tinuade Afolabi of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, said it was time for women to speak up, break barriers and be the best.

The chairperson of the  APWEN, Osogbo branch, Engineer (Mrs) Olufella Adeola Adeniyi and the chairman of the planning committee, Mrs Olusola Iyeoluwa Obajuwonlo, an engineer, said the event was aimed at acknowledging the great contributions of women to the society and to motivate young women to think big and aim high.