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Charges Women So Step Up And Take Their Place In Society
The annual ARISE Women’s Conference may have finally come and gone, but the memories it left behind will continue to linger in the minds of all those who attended for a long time to come. The 15th edition, put together by the convener, the amazing Amazon herself, Dr. Siju Iluyomade, last Saturday, 28th October, 2023 inside the magnificent Trinity Towers of City of David, has continued to be the subject on the lips of everyone who either physically attended and those who watched the event live on Channels television or online via streaming.
Expectedly, Dr. Siju Iluyomade, as always, did not disappoint. Indeed, this time, she beat the expectations of many who feared the biting economic realities in the country would impact badly and take its toll on the quality of the event this year, especially in terms of gradeur and the quality of the take away food items loaded inside the traditional pink buckets for the over 5000 less privileged women who stormed the City of David’s Trinity Towers, Victoria Island, to partake in the philanthropy of the amazing Dr. Siju Iluyomade, a woman who is fast earning a reputation of being one of the loudest voices of the voiceless Nigerian women. But Siju Iluyomade, a woman known for detesting doing things in half measures, shocked everyone who feared the quality of the event could drop. For Siju, she would go the whole nine yards to achieve whatever she has set her mind to achieve. She pulled out all the stops, gave out thousands of food items that must have set her back by several millions of naira, invited quality female speakers to come in and inspire and charge up the women folk and also contracted some of the most talented and wave making gospel artistes in the land to bless the women with some of their soul lifting hit songs.
This year’s Arise Women Conference will forever be remembered for it’s several highlights as take-aways. For those stepping inside the Trinity Towers for the first time, the breath taking ambience and enthralling aesthetics of the Sanctuary was simply mind blowing. It was enough to charge up all the participants. Things got even better with the inspiring educative speeches, sensational renditions, praise & worships and inspiring admonitions took the over 10000 guests spellbound for hours. The event paraded not less than 10 Powerful Speakers, many of whom are some of the most respected female voices you can find within and beyond the shores of Nigeria. And every single female speaker that stepped on the podium was incredible. They all had powerful stories to tell and offered very compelling words of inspiration to the women, urging them all to be bold, to step up and take their rightful place in the society.
Prominent at the event were Special Adviser to the President on SDGs, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Former First Lady of Akwa-Ibom. Mrs Martha Udom, Wife of Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Mrs Tokunbo Alabi, Wife of Former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mrs Tokunbo Awoniyi, Mrs Stella Okoli, Iyalode of Lagos Chief Bintu Tinubu among others.
Speaking under theme of this year’s edition, #StepUp, all the speakers urged Women to always seek for knowledge and not be afraid to take up leadership positions. In her welcome address, the Convener of Arise Women, Dr Siju, as this trained Lawyer and hugely accomplished business woman  is often called, said ” success is key to survival, Women should never succumb to low standard of life, never allow any gift God gave you to lie low. Do not bbe afraid, it is time to Step up,” she charged the women.
She emphasized the importance of women in building the society telling participants at the global event that “women are the greatest untapped resources”
Pastor Atinuke Asegieme from Abuja in her own powerful speech, charged Women never to be afraid to turn their negative past into triumph by opening up and walk above the past. In her words, “We have the potential and power inbuilt in us as Women, we must exercise it to better the society. We aren’t in competition with men but we stand tall”
One of the international speakers at the event was Dr Laretta Sanders from United Arab Emirates, she spoke on the major fears that women have.. She acknowleged that most women are restricted by limited resources most times and encouraged women to start from somewhere first and move from there.
Other Speakers at the event includes Pastor Eno Jerry-Eze. Memunat Kadiri, Shivangi Walke from Switzerland, Glaspie Kimberly from UAE and many others from Italy, India and Finland. Also women were educated on prevention, management and treatment for fibroid by specialist Doctors which generated interesting discourse on the day.
WALE LAWAL (08037209290)
