From the mention of Nigeria’s former minister of finance,Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-iweala to one of Nigeria’s finest filmmaker, Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media in the 2022 Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, it is clear that women in Nigeria and beyond have taken beautiful control of male-dominated spaces, challenging the status quo and bringing valuable changes.
The International Women’s Day originated a century ago. The first international women’s day was celebrated on the 19th of March, 1911 with over one million people participating from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark.
The United Nations officially adopted International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, 1975. Since then, The United Nations has been a major sponsor to this yearly event, urging more countries to join in celebrating women around the world.
In 2011, Former President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama declared March as Women’s History Month in the United States.
Fifteen thousand women protested in New York City for the first National Women’s Day, and for labor and equal voting rights in 1901.
Annually, the theme for the International Women’s Day evolves to tackle one feminine issue or the other and to remind women all over the world of their worth.
While last year’s theme was #EmbraceEquity, this year’s campaign theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion.’ “When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world,” states the IWD website. “And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
In an interview with Miss Myra Beniah, an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, she said, “ I somehow feel special that we are being celebrated today. Only one colleague actually wished me a Happy International Women’s Day. This shows that a lot of people don’t even know what today stands for. Are we being respected? Are we being appreciated for the value that we are offering? I really don’t know. Few days ago, I wasn’t feeling too well and I reached out to my boss and it felt like I was being compared to my male colleagues. When it’s that time of the month, colleagues and bosses should understand that we are not men, we are different. Today is International Women’s Day, I should be resting at home.”
Also, a final year student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Miss Ololade Ogunlenu, expressed that she feels great about such a special day, dedicated to women, “I feel great. It pleases my heart to see that women are being celebrated and not just on their birthdays or mother’s day too. It’s a beautiful experience.”
Speaking with Mrs Oluwakemisola Adebisi, a broadcast finalist at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, she expressed her joy regarding such a special day,”It feels special. To be celebrated for just being a woman. We need to feel celebrated even when to us it seems we are not winning. It helps with our self confidence.”
In the words of Miss Mary Imikan, a print finalist at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism,she mentioned how beautiful it is to be celebrated as a women,“It’s beautiful to see women being celebrated and recognized by everyone especially other women and I hope the celebration remains consistent and gets better as the years go by.”
This annual celebration is a thoughtful reminder for women all around the world.
Happy International Women’s Day.
