MY JOURNEY IN LIFE AND MY VISION

There is a part of my life’s journey which I hardly ever share. Somehow, my inner self spoke or perhaps it was the voice of the feminine that made me want to share it now. I lift the veil, here is it.
Losing my marriage due to ‘inability to have a child for my husband’ was the most tragic part of my life. My whole world crumbled, I became disillusioned, scattered and deflated. It was as if what I dreaded most had come upon me. Two of my grandmother’s sisters had suffered the same fate and had died childless. My mother, who was not childless still, lost her husband and here am I suffering the same fate

I worked out of the court room after the divorce pronouncement with reminiscences of my discussion with my mother after the burial of one of my grandmother’s sisters who died childless. I remembered I told my mum that “I will not allow childlessness nor lack of husband to steal away my joy in life” The two women lived a sad melancholy lives consulting herbalists and changing men like clothes all because they wanted to have a child. This flash back was what gave me the courage and strength to start my life all over again after my divorce. The only asset that remained with me after my divorce was my education as a lawyer. This was the capital I invested in taking pro bono cases to help women secure their rights in courts against all forms of discrimination. This was the beginning of my journey in women’s right and gender advocacy.

By 2003 my exploits in assisting women in courts had been noticed by the American embassy and I was nominated by the United States state department to participate in the International Visitor leadership program. Between 2006 and 2008 I was identified as an emerging women’s leader to implement the indigenous people’s network for change project in West Africa (IPNC). I monitored and observed the Global Environment facility (GEF) to ensure indigenous people’s issues are mainstreamed. In 2008, I participated in the writing and presentation of the Nigeria Non- Governmental Organization (N GO) Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) report at the United Nations. 1n 2009 I was nominated as one of the Beahrs Environmental Leaders of the University of California at Berkley, U. S. A.
Observing the GEF for two years was the turning point in my women’s right activism that took me into the realm of women environment and climate change. My work at the GEF opened my eyes to new issues and realities of pervasive inequality against women. It actually helped me to redefine and reactivate my women’s right advocacy vision to include women’s leadership in climate change and the environment.

My experiences gave me the leverge to inspire, mentor and provide leadership that empowers women and girls to advocate on behalf of women and gender in all spheres of life. Working with women and girls and making a difference for them has brought joy and happiness into my life which divorce or childlessness cannot steal away.

I have found inner strength, courage and joy to make the difference for women and girls in the journey of my life. Up scaling and taking my advocacy to the next level of promoting voice, inclusion and accountability on behalf of women will require cutting edge training in citizen’s journalism offered by the voices of our future correspondence. Becoming a VOF correspondent is the unique opportunity that will propel me to greater heights and help me to develop additional competence to take my women’s right advocacy to greater heights. VOF will help me to add to the repertoire of women’s “herstory” which the world pulse online community is writing. VOF will give me the edge to provide better mentorship and leadership to mould more sheros that will unleash women’s leadership in the world.

I am yet to find another husband and have a child but I live my life to the fullest finding joy in working with my world pulse sisters to make a difference for women on the ground.