UNIC Lagos partners others on women empowerment

OVER 152 women at the weekend gathered to aspire to be ‘A Better Me’ at the Library auditorium of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos.

Themed: “ A Better Me’, and organized by the Homemakers Lifestyle and Empowerment Workshop, UNIC Lagos and Brightlight Studios, as part of activities marking the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations (UN), as well as the Post-2015 Development Agenda, many women, defying the biting fuel scarcity in Nigeria and the status of Sunday as a rest day, clad in beautiful dresses, turned up in their numbers to be a part of the programme, which also contributes to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3: Promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

The Director of UNIC Lagos, Ronald Kayanja, represented by the Centre’s National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun, while reiterating that women remained a priority group for the United Nations, reassured that the organisation would continue to make a positive difference to the lives of millions of people,especially in terms of vaccinating children, distributing food aid, sheltering refugees, deploying peacekeepers, protecting the environment, seeking peaceful resolution of disputes and supporting democratic elections, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law.

Quoting the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, Kayanja noted: “The theme of this anniversary year, “Strong UN. Better World” captures the importance of multilateralism. This is a time of test but far more one of tremendous opportunity.”

He added that the empowerment workshop aligned with the message of the UN Secretary General on UN@70 that the United Nations looks forward to working with people everywhere to build lives of safety, prosperity and dignity for all.

The Homemakers Lifestyle and Empowerment Workshop featured the business side of beauty, which included make-up skills and head-gear (Gele) tying lessons; marriage/relationship counselling; building a successful fashion designing business; and the art and science of making desserts, cocktails and mocktails.

The programme also featured exhibition of women’s products from the cultural industry, beauty products, cakes and pastries and women wellness products, among others.

The Executive Director of Brightlight Studios, Lanre Anjola-Oyebode, while explaining the rationale behind the programme, added that it was meant to grow the number of women who are economically independent and sufficiently empower them to support their husbands in raising educated and morally upright children.