Women have been urged to prioritise their health, personal growth and development, and emotional well-being, with a warning that rising stress and burnout reduce their productivity and could have economic consequences for the country.

Speakers at the second edition of The Intentional Woman 2.0, organised by the Sistas Beyond Borders Empowerment Foundation, held in Lagos.

The Founder, Nancy Edet, called on Nigerian women to become more intentional about their personal growth, stressing that many women continue to shoulder enormous family, career, and business responsibilities without creating time for rest, personal development, or self-care, while exposing themselves to physical and emotional breakdown.

According to her, the consequences of such lifestyles extend beyond individual health challenges to include economic losses, noting that many women contribute significantly to the economy through careers, businesses, and entrepreneurship.

Edet further explained that many women have normalised living under constant pressure while neglecting their personal well-being in an attempt to meet societal expectations.

Edet urged women to move beyond merely ‘surviving’ daily responsibilities and instead live intentionally and purposefully.

Also speaking at the event, President of the Nollywood Creative Minds Forum, Ijeoma Richards, advised women to deliberately take breaks from work and household chores to safeguard their mental and physical health.

The filmmaker observed that many Nigerian women are trapped in continuous routines of work and domestic responsibilities without adequate rest, leaving them mentally exhausted and emotionally drained.

Richard further encouraged women to set personal goals and create clear plans for their future, rather than focusing solely on caring for others.

“For everything, we make plans to feed the children and take care of our families, but we do not make plans for our own lives. Women should write down what they want to achieve in one year or five years and work intentionally towards it,” she added.