International Women’s Day: Celebrating the Nigerian Woman!

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre
The eighth (8^th) day of March is marked the world over as the International Women’s Day. Women’s Day is held every year to celebrate the achievements of women throughout history and across nations.

The International Women’s Day is also known as the United Nation’s (UN) Day for Women’s Right and International Peace. It has been observed since the early 1990s and is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Cuba, Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Uganda and several other countries.

The UN theme for this year’s event is: “A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women.” In a little over a century of its existence, the International Women’s Day is growing in status and relevance and the United States of America even designates the whole month of March as Women’s History Month.

Events are set up to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. The tradition also sees men honouring their mothers, wives, friends, sisters, aunties and colleagues with flowers and other gifts.

With the swearing in last Monday of Park Guen-Hye as the first female President of South Korea, the gender agenda is, certainly, gaining momentum!

In line with the International Women’s Day tradition, The Communicat! wishes to celebrate Nigerian women. They are the women we admire; visionaries, pacesetters, achievers against all odds and impressive role models in their respective areas. All together, they form a kaleidoscope of colours resplendent in beauty, warmth, and the very essence of womanhood.

We salute you...

Grace Alele-Williams. Folake Solanke. Ebun Oyagbola. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Hannah Dideolu Awolowo. Maryam Aloma Muktar. Priscilla Kuye. Sena Anthony. Eunice Jonathan. Bola Kuforiji-Olubi. Eme Ufot-Ekaette. Doyin Abiola. Aderonke Kale. Chris Anyanwu. Franca Afegbua. Josephine Ancha. Oby Ezekwesili. Adebola Adesola. Chinyere Onyebuchiya. Amina Uwais. Affiong Abasiattai. Folorunsho Alakija. Biola Alabi. Hilda Adefarasin. Erelu Olusola Obada. Omobola Johnson. Toyin Saraki. Tokunboh Awolowo-Dosumu. Grace Folashade Bent. Omolewa Ahmed. Sarah Jubril. Stella Omu. Dieziani Allison-Madueke. Toyin Olakunri. Agnes Bassey Asaka. Sola David-Borha. Kema Chikwe. Margaret Shonekan. Mabel Dorothy Segun. Francesca Emmanuel. Joy Emodi. Binta Nyako. Honsine Donli. Ebele Okeke. Buchi Emecheta. Oluremi Tinubu. Elizabeth Ebi. Funke Opeke. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulure. Uche Nwizu.  Owens Wiwa. Zainab Kure. Ebele Eko. Dora Akunyili. Nike Akande. Victoria Ezekoli. Abimbola Fashola. Umoh Ebiekpi. Ruda Mohammed. Helen Asemota. Nkoyo Toyo. Fati Abdulsalam Abubakar. Rita Akpan. Roseline Noyem Ukeje. Binta Garba Koyi. Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele. Florence Ita Giwa. Bimpe Aboyade. Opral Benson. Onuma Ekpenisi. Janet Mokelu. Mary Odili. Eno Bassey. Catherine Acholonu. Funke Osibodu. Virgy Etiaba. Folu Adeboye. Ndi Okereke-Onyuike. Omolaja Adedoyin. Deborah Ajakaiye. Peace Okonkwo. Faith Tuedor-Mathews. Mary Ogba. Uche Modum. Zainab Maina. Ganiat Fawehinmi. Titi Oseni. Evelyn Oputu. Marie Fatai-Williams. Dele George. Taiwo Taiwo. Sinatu Ojikutu. Margaret Idahosa. Nadu Denloye. Mo Abudu. Gloria Essien-Dana. Joy Ogwu. Bola Shagaya. Arunma Otteh. Ayo Obe. Abbah Folawiyo. Rugayyatu Rufa’i. Emily Aig-Imokhuede. Yetunde Mercy Olumide. Amina Ndalolo. Sara Sosan. Bene Madunagu. Wuraola Esan. Julia Oku.  Benedickter Molokwu. Laraba Daggash. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio. Janet Akinrinade. Mercy Almona Isei. Sophie Okonedo. Ekaette Etuk. Mosun Emerua. Onari Duke. Titilayo Ajanaku. Blessing Awosika. S. Thomas Fahm. Victoria Gowon. Titi Atiku Abubakar. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh.  Ama Ogan. Nike Ogunlesi. Agbani Darego. Farida Waziri. Nenadi Usman. Abiola Dosunmu.  Eka Williams. Cecilia Ugowe. Eniola Fadayomi. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru. Desola Bakare. Winifred Awosika. Louisa Ayonote. Yewande Zaccheus. Donu Kogbara. Ify Akerele. Maiden Ibru. Obioma Imoke. Eugenia Abu. Elizabeth Jibunoh. Feyi George. Daisy Danjuma. Funmi Olayinka. Amina Ibrahim. Biola Babatope. Habiba Garba. Temi Harriman. Bola Hassan-Odukale. Eunice Egwu. Mary Mkpesit. Comfort Omowunmi Adedokun. Alaba Shonibare. Basirai Nahibi. Funmi Goka. Felicia Nwego Ayalugo. Sade Adu. Funke Aboyade. Roli Uduaghan. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. M.R. Adeleke. Kemi Nelson. Aishatu Ismaila. Gladys Talabi. Stella Ugoma. Theresa Nya Akan. Joke Silva. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Susan Umoh. Bimbo Patricia Oloyode. Teni Aofiyebi. Eka Braide. Rose Ebana. Lola Alakija. Sola Momoh. Amina Oyagbola. Eka Uwe. Aisha Oyebode. Hannah Oboho. Miriam Ikejiani Clark. Eki Igbinedion. Patty Boulaye. Catherine Kehinde George. Fateema Mohammed. Helen Chukwuma. Ify Maduka Nwakwesi. Funmi Soleye. Ladun Sijuwade. Ego Maduekwe. Helen Prest-Ajayi. Etong Nto. Eyamba Henshaw. Ngozi Anyaegbunam. Eme Akenzua. Muka Nwokedi. Nike Adeyemi. Gold Oruh. Stella Okoli. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas. Ebele Okeke. Awele Elumelu. Subu Giwa-Amu. Ego Boyo. Nike Okundaye. Bodun Yuguda. Dora Miller. Aisha Bello Mustapha. Priscilla otti. Stella Felix. Victoria Majekodunmi. Sherifah Abiola  Andu. Betty Irabor. Pelebo Banigo. Pauline Tallen. Atim Umoh. Palmela Olayinka Adedayo. Laila St. Mathew Daniel. Akon Eyakenyi. Augusta Maduegbuna. Celine Loader.  Funmilayo Tejuosho. Moni Shonibare. Elizabeth Odekpe. Helen Ovbiageli. Sefi Attah. Funmi Omogbenigun. Anuli Ajagu. Nemine Ante. Amaka Igwe. Kehinde Young Harry. Nikki Khiran. Ononuju Irukwu. Teresa Essien. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo. Derin Disu. Kiki Kalango. Adunni Bankole. Comfort Obi. Kehinde Kamson. Mulikat Akande. Iquo Essang. Ruth Osime. Lisa Folawiyo. Kate Ume Ezeoke.  Siene Allwell Brown. Elizabeth Adeyemi. Jane Onwineng. Arinola Adeniyi. Udo Okonjo. Mary Onyali Omagbemi. Chioma Ajunwa. Rosaline Babs-Jonah. Ireti Kingibe. Alero Okotie-Eboh Jadesimi. Onikepo Akande. Folake Folarin-Coker. Iretiola Doyle. Uche Ekwunife. Seinye Lulu Briggs. Bisi Olateru Olagbegi. Ruth Benamasia Opia. Onyeka Onwenu. Deola Sagoe. Nike Eshiett. Funke Egbemode. Grace Egbagbe. Ugonwa Nwoye. Yemi Halim. Nonny Ugboma. Funlola Aofiyebi Raimi. Jumoke Adenowo. Rita Dominic. Mildred Iweka. Nana Akin Odejayi. Michelle Dede. Dakore Akande. Gbemi Saraki. Mediline Tador. Nana Otedola. Anthonia Yetunde Alabi. Rita Emerhor. Angela Ebuga. Deola Mensah. Nkechi Ali-Balogun. Rose Adaure Njoku. Omawunmi Megbele. Ebele Ufodike. Bola Dare. Ngozi Nwosu. Nancy Nwadire. Modele Sarafa-Yusuf. Biodun Yuguda. Adesuwa Oyenokwe. Dupe Ogunlesi. Banke Meshida-Lawal. Milicent Olaghere. Genevieve Nnaji. Margaret Icheen. Hannah Attih. Iretiola Doyle. Stephanie Okereke-Linus. Funmi Holder. Eloho Aisien. Chika Mbonu. Funke Ogeah. Chinelo Achebe. Enwemade Erhabo-Emokpae. Toluwani Caroline Ijogun. Sandra Mbanefo Obiago. Caroline King. Damilola Adegbite. Alali Hart. Mildred Okwo. Taiwo Ajayi-Lycet. Jessica Obioma. Jennifer Olize. Tiwa Savage. Moji Makanjuola. Vivian Oputa. Njideka Ezeife. Toru Offili. Falilat Ogunkoya.  Ayiri Oladunmoye. Uloma Victoria Nwigwe. Lisa Folawiyo. Modupe Ozolua. Uche Jombo. Lara George.  Toyin Lawani.  Patience Ozokwo. Bisi Fayemi. Genevieve Nnaji. Bisi Lamikanra. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. Bimbo Olusola-Sowoolu. Roseline Eyang. Ituen Bassey. Susan Eyo-Honesty. Omowunmi Akinifesi. Rita Lori. Victoria Okojie. Bola Dare. Dolapo Oni. Matilda Obaseki. Orode Okpu. Ndidi Obioha. Remi Diagbare. Matilda Kerry. Dakore Akande. Amaka Maduneme. Nkiru Olumide Ojo. Tosin Sowemimo. Folake Mumuney. Chioma Nweke. Louise Priddy. Linda Amobi-Obi. Mercy Akhide. Ronke Adedeji. Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka. Nkemdilim Adedokun. Eku Edewor. Marian Anazodo. Grace Clark. Geraldine Asim-Ita. Data Okorodudu. Nike Oshinowo. Caroline Danjuma. Debi Ogunjobi. Modupe Ajayi. Michelle Okoloko. Margaret Orakwushi. Remi Abere. Emem Ema.  Nkiru Anumudu. Ndidi Nnoli Edozien. Susan Eshiett. Ibidun Ighodalo. Emilia Asim Ita. Ben Upaa Ayede. Bianca Ojukwu. Angela Aneke. Omotayo Omotosho. Edugie Abebe. Munira Marwa. Kofo Olugbesan. Derin Osoba. Bola Thomas. Helen Esuene. Helen Mark. Amina Sambo. Patience Jonathan...

...and, of course, the woman CEO in her corner office where the buck stops, who has to make the tough calls to keep the business afloat as well as the conscientious employee minding her cubicle in the open office who brings tangible value to the table. We salute the courage of the market woman and the woman farmer who toil from sunrise to sunset striving to ensure the survival of generations to come.  We wish to acknowledge the energetic woman out there powering her truck, bus or even riding an okada in order to be able to put meals on the table for her family. We greet you.  This is also in honour of the woman literally paddling her canoe down some lonely river in order to make ends meet as well as the petty trader who come rain, come shine is roasting plantain, yam, groundnut out there in the open, exposed to the elements and the vagaries of this life in order to send her children to school. We salute you all. You are our leading lady and a pride to womanhood, even though you may not look like it. Thank you all for holding the dream. You are worthy vessels unto honour and your efforts would not go unrewarded. We wish you happy women’s day, a blissful women’s month. God bless you all.

... Not forgetting a few of our heroines who have passed on:

 Margaret Ekpo. Efunroye Tinubu. Queen Kambassa. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Flora Nwapa Nwakuche. Moremi Ajasoro. Queen Amina, Omu Kwei. Eniola Soyinka. Gambo Sawaba. Jadesola Akande. Zulu Sofola. Cecelia Ekpenyong. Laila Dongoyaro. Maryam Babangida. Emotan, Hadiza Ladi Kwali. Queen Idia, Bimbo Odukoya, Margaret Uya. Kofo Ademola. MEE Mofe-Damijo. Kudirat Abiola. Grace Anwana. Bisoye Tejuosho. Nkoyo Okon Nkpubre. Hajara Usmani. Hairat Gwadabe. Maria Sokenu...   May your souls continue to find eternal repose.