I am excited about the International women's day, a time to celebrate all the achievements and accomplishments that women around the world have made over the years. It is also an opportunity to bring to the forefront the hardship and challenges that women still face today on a continual basis. We oftentimes can be victims of double standards and inequality within the society and in some parts of the world is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Although a day is not enough to celebrate all the achievements women around the world have contributed to society, but I would be highlighting on some leading female figures, sharing their work, cause or professional aspirations.
Bukky Shonibare: As a Management Consultant, Bukky
is the CEO of 555 Consulting Limited, a firm focused on Strategy, Human Resource, and Development. She’s also the Founder of School of Human Resource Management. Bukky
lectures Human Resource Management at the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University, Abuja. She also serves as an Independent Consultant with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Youth With Innovation (YouWIN) Programme. As a Development Consultant, Bukky
is a member of the working group on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Resolution 1325 with the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA); a steering team member on the Early Warning and Rapid Response of the ECOWAS, a working group member on the Humanitarian Actions and Natural Disasters Support (HANDS) Operations of the African Union (AU), and a Coach on the Rapid Results Initiative of the World Bank Group. Bukky
is currently undergoing a Masters program in Managing Peace and Security in Africa at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies of the Addis Ababa University.
As a Humanitarian and Activist, in 2005, Bukky founded The Light Foundation under which she now coordinates Adopt-A-Camp, an initiative that assists Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North East, Nigeria. Bukky is also a member of the Strategic Team of the #BringBackOurGirls movement. Today we salute you. Bukky Shonibare
Serena Williams: Beginning in the late 1990s, Serena Williams became one of the world's most talented and exciting tennis players. With her outgoing personality, unique fashion sense, and striking good looks, Williams would have commanded attention even if she hadn't been a top ranked professional player. But her skills on the court happen to be extraordinary, the result of years of training, natural ability, and a powerful determination to win. Williams has gained additional attention as an African-American athlete in a sport generally dominated by white players. Her 1999 singles victory at the U.S. Open made her only the second black woman ever to win a Grand Slam title; Althea Gibson (1927–2003) was the first. The Grand Slam tournaments—the Australian Open, Roland Garros (better known as the French Open), Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open—are among the game's most visible and significant events for pros. Today we salute you, Serena Williams.
Mae C. Jemison: She was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. On June 4, 1987, she became the first African-American woman to be admitted into the astronaut training program. On September 12, 1992, Jemison finally flew into space with six other astronauts aboard the Endeavour on mission STS47, becoming the first African-American woman in space. In recognition of her accomplishments, Jemison has received several awards and honorary doctorates. During her time at Morgan Park High School, she became convinced she wanted to pursue a career in biomedical engineering, and when she graduated in 1973 as a consistent honor student, she entered Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship.After she obtained her M.D. in 1981, Jemison interned at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center and later worked as a general practitioner. For the next two and a half years, she was the area Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia where she also taught and did medical research. Following her return to the United States in 1985, Jemison made a career change and decided to follow a dream she had nurtured for a long time. In October of that year, she applied for admission to NASA's astronaut training program. The Challenger disaster of January 1986 delayed the selection process, but when she reapplied a year later, Jemison was one of the 15 candidates chosen from a field of about 2,000. Today we salute you, Mae C. Jemison.
Malala Yousafzai: born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9th, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school, she survived and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. In 2014, she was nominated again and won, becoming the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Yousafzai attended a school that her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, had founded. After the Taliban began attacking girls' schools in Swat, Malala gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2008. The title of her talk was, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to educationWith a growing public platform, Yousafzai continued to speak out about her right, and the right of all women, to an education. Her activism resulted in a nomination for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011. That same year, she was awarded Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize. Today we Salute you, Malala Yousaf.
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