By Ngozi Egenuka
Women have been tasked to prioritise self-care, mental health, faith and career for a well-rounded result. This was at the maiden edition of HERbernation 2025, themed ‘Rise. Renew. Reignite’, organised by Plexus in Lagos.
Finance professional, Elizabeth Kings-Wali, charged women to prioritise self-care and protect your sanity and emotions. For women juggling career and infertility, she said they can put most of their attention on their career and have a support system. She highlighted the importance of women knowing that the ability to have children does not define their worth, so they can focus on other areas of their lives they find joy and happiness in.
Dean, Purple Academy, Wema Bank, Ogechi Eleojo, who spoke on navigating difficult moments, tasked women to introspect and establish peace, which stands for taking a pause, evaluate the situation, align your emotions and actions, ensuring your decision is in alignment with your values, connect to support systems and embracing growth.
She stated that imposter syndrome, self-doubt are major limiting barriers to women scaling professionally. “These things tend not to allow women do more or express themselves. It is destructive when you allow self-doubt dim the talent God has given you” she added.
As a solution, Eleojo explained that for any woman to have gotten any job position, it is because of the skill they bring. She therefore tasked women to make a list of their achievements so they can always refer to something when self-doubt rises.
Single ladies were asked to wisely make a decision on who to marry to avoid making mistakes and marrying a man who would limit her from pursuing purpose.
Principal Consultant, Plexus, Mr. Ozioma Ubabukoh, stated that HERbernation is not just an event, but a safe space where women can pause, reflect and realign with their purpose.
He noted that the theme is a call to action, reminding women that no matter where they are on their journeys, there is always room to rise beyond limitations, renew strength, and reignite the passion that drives them.
“We live in a fast-paced world where women often juggle multiple roles, meet endless expectations, and sometimes forget to take a moment for themselves. But today is about you. It is about your story, growth and journey towards becoming the best version of yourself,” he added.
Mental Health Advocate, Ruth Ebe-Emordi, said mental health plays an important role in the extent women can go in achieving their highest potential. She reiterated the importance of having support system in winning the battle against depression or mental illness.
She said that though there is better advocacy around mental health, there is still an enormous gap as people don’t want to be perceived as weak or mentally ill. She urged people to also advocate for the kind of care they receive and how to support people battling mental health issues.
Ebe-Emordi charged women to know their bodies and research widely on health issues so that when there is an abnormality, it could be easily identified. “A lot of women don’t know that it is abnormal for menstrual periods to come with pain. This is just one of many abnormal things that we have normalised,” she added.
According to her, globally there is a challenge with women’s reproductive health, because such issues have been under funded and under researched. She said that on the issue of PCOS, women are not properly informed on the side effects of birth control pills, need for lifestyle modification and diet change.
