Women have been urged to prioritise their personal identity, emotional healing and mental resilience to live purposeful lives, especially within the demanding roles of wifehood and motherhood.

The appeal was made during the Heal and Sparkle women’s conference over the weekend in Lagos. The convener, Modupe Nnebedum, said the movement was birthed out of the need for women, particularly married women and mothers, to rediscover themselves, reconnect with their individual purpose, rise from a place of overwhelm, and take back control of their lives.

She explained that many women, in the pursuit of nurturing others, lose sight of their individuality and forget the dreams they once held.  Nnebedum emphasised that womanhood involves playing multiple roles, but that personal identity should come first to create balance across wifehood, motherhood, sisterhood and beyond.

As part of the initiative, the SheRises Journal was introduced to support women in healing, building self-confidence and rediscovering joy, three core areas identified as essential for women to thrive and make an impact.

The Guest Speaker and a nurse, Dr. Lydia Odedeji, explained that the role of faith helps women build resilience, shape identity, brings inner peace, and enables emotional regulation.

She encouraged women to anchor their lives on biblical principles, stating that faith gives them the grace to cope with adversity and maintain a hopeful outlook despite societal pressures.

Mental health advocate, Funke Odunnaike, also urged women to prioritise themselves, embrace self-affirmation, and seek therapy or help when needed.
She also called for stronger social support networks among women and encouraged them to stop seeing one another as competition, but as allies and sisters.