IWD 2021: Okonjo-Iweala, oda African women wey don break gender equality stereotypes

Every March 8th African women dey join di rest of di world to celebrate di International Women's Day.

Di day dey important as e dey remind dem of di historic journey women around di world don take to better dia lives.

Dis year theme na Women in Leadership, wey dey call for equal future in a covid- 19 world.

E dey tell dem to challenge everything wey dey hold dem back to become better and dis na some of di things some ogbonge African women don do to change things for dia society.

Dem no only break di stereotypes and discriminations, dem go ahead to demand for gender equality and don become movers and shakers for dia various careers.

Dis women also don continue to dey use dia voices and platforms to champion girls and women's rights, access to quality education, economic opportunities, among others.

NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala na di first woman and first African to hold di position of di Director General of di World Trade Organization.

She bin serve twice as Nigeria Finance Minister from 2003-2006, 2011-2015 and once as Foreign Minister - di first woman to hold both positions

She don Spent 25 years for di World Bank where she for climb to become Managing Director.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala get ova 30 years experience as economist and international development expert

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala don receive ovea fifteen honorary degrees, including from Yale University, di University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Tel Aviv University and Trinity College, Dublin

AMINA J MOHAMMED

Amina J. Muhammed na di Deputy Secretary General of di United Nations and Chair of di United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Before her appointment, Ms. Mohammed bin serve as Minister of Environment of di Federal Republic of Nigeria where she manage di kontri efforts on climate action and efforts to protect di natural environment.

She first join di UN for 2012 as Special Adviser to di former Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wit di responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She lead di process wey result in global agreement around di 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and di creation of di Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Mohammed start her career working for di design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She work as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before she move go di public sector, where she rise to di position of adviser to three successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.

She dey conferred wit many honourary doctorates award.

ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf na politician wey serve 24th president of Liberia. She be di first female head of state in Africa. She win di 2005 presidential election and dem re-elect her again for 2011.

Madam Sirleaf na one of di three joint winners of di 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

She don hold plenty ogbonge international financial positions, from minister of finance in 1979 to Africa director for di United Nations Development Programme.

GRACA MACHEL

Graca Machel na one of di most powerful and historic women for Africa. She bin serve as di minister of education for Mozambique, di position she hold from 1975 to 1989.

She don become agent of change ever since, including her role for di helm of di Graça Machel Trust and a member of di Elders — one group of global leaders wey dey work together to promote peace, justice, and human rights.

Di Graça Machel Trust dey promote women empowerment and leadership, child rights, and good nutrition. Many pipo dey call her Mama Graça, Machel sake of her believe say to make impact better power.

FATOU BENSOUDA

Fatou Bensouda na Gambian lawyer and Chief Prosecutor for di International Criminal Court.

She don dey di position since June 2012 afta she serve as Deputy Prosecutor in charge of di Prosecutions Division of di ICC since 2004.

Before then she bin work as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of The Gambia from 1998 to 2000.

She don hold positions of Legal Adviser and Trial Attorney for di International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Bensouda don collect plenty awards, wey include di distinguished ICJ International Jurists Award in 2009, di 2011 World Peace Through Law Award among others.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO

Di Beninese-American singer-songwriter, actress, and activist. She don win four Grammy Awards and plenty oda recognition lists don put her name. But, Kidjo no dey sing anyhow song. Her song dey get meaning and she be advocate for children for UNICEF and OXFAM. She also be spokesperson for the AFAWA initiative (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa) wey she dey advocate say make women dey get money to do business.

Dem born Kidjo di same year Nigeria collect independent , 1960, for Benin and she don travel di worl, singing and to dey do advocacy for women and children for Africa. She bin get her own charity organisation wey dey give education to children for Africa.

LUPITA NYONG'O

When Lupita Nyong'o win di Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014 for her performance in 12 Years a Slave, no be just say anoda sta don land. E also begin movement of self-love and of celebrating being unique.

Dark with natural hair wey she no dey use weavon or wig cover, Nyong'o dey always tok passionately about beauty, in particular, being very dark and no reject yourself over it.

Nyong'o dey use her voice and di global stages wey she occupy to promote beauty ideals wey dey inclusive.

Dr. OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI

Obiageli Ezekwesili na di presidential candidate of di Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN for di 2019 general election before she pull out.

She be former vice president for world bank and she don hold two ogbonge position for Nigeria as minister of education and solid minerals.

Na she also lead we-no-go-gree group - Bring Back Our Girls wey enter spotlight after Boko haram militants carry nearly 300 school girls from dia school for Chibok, north east Nigeria.

MAXIMILLIENNE NGO MBE

Madam Maximilienne na di Director for Network of Human Rights Defenders, REDHAC, NGO Mbe na human rights activist weh e start advocacy for 1990 as high school student for Edea, Littoral region of Cameroon.

De lawyer and trainer wit doctorate degree for public law, diploma for information management bin put pressure make goment make law for defend human rights defenders.

From 2007 to 2010 e work as secretary in charge of advocacy wen deh start REDHAC for Kigali. Deh elect e REDHAC director for Congo Kinshasa for 2010.

Ngo mbe e work make REDHAC for get observer status for African Union Human and People Rights commission.

For 30 years now, dis woman di risk e life for promote human rights, political freedom, freedom of expression, and association for Cameroon.

Ngo Mbe don advocate for journalists weh authorities lock for prison and oda political actors, LGBTQ+ and prisoners.

De activist don tok about abuses, how pipo die for Northwest and Southwest for seka Anglophone crisi, advocate for humanitarian access, and call for ceasefire.

Ngo Mbe na one of de leading voices for ask for justice for women and pikin dem weh Cameroon soldiers kill for Zelevet, Far North Cameroon.

Vernelle Trim FritzPatricia US Department of State charge d' affair say Ngo Mbe "e work di helep for build strong foundation for Cameroon democracy grow. E commitment for fundamental human rights and freedoms for Cameroon di inspire all man".

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, bin catch di world attention wit her novels, Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun for 2003 and 2006.

Purple Hibiscus bin dey listed for di Man Booker, wey be one of di most popular global literary awards.

Meanwhile, dem adapt Half of a Yellow Sun into film for 2013.

But wetin really cement her position as prominent thinker and voice of change na her 2014 essay, We Should All Be Feminists.