Women in leadership positions have been called upon to use their respective positions to influence institutions and build careers in public service.
Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, who made the call on Wednesday at a one-day capacity-building workshop and retreat organised by the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for female leaders across the state, emphasized the need to transition from advocacy to occupying strategic positions where women can make an impact.
Adejuyigbe, who spoke on the theme, ‘Transformational Leadership and Women’s Empowerment,’ said women must move beyond occupying leadership positions but to transform the society.
She noted that effective leadership was not determined by gender but by vision, courage, competence, integrity and the ability to mobilise people towards achieving common goals.
The Vice-Chancellor cited Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Grace Alele-Williams, the late Dora Akunyili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Oluremi Tinubu and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as examples of women who had broken barriers through purposeful leadership.
Adejuyigbe, therefore, urged women leaders to support and mentor one another, stressing that the success of one woman should not be seen as a threat to another.
She also cautioned against transactional leadership driven by personal interests, saying transformational leaders should focus on the positive impact they make on people and the institutions under their care.
Earlier in her remarks, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, challenged women leaders in the state to take stock of their contributions to the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and identify gaps in their performance towards advancing the government’s development agenda.
Osamaye said the retreat, approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa, was designed to provide women occupying strategic positions with an opportunity to assess their performance, identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen collaboration towards achieving the administration’s objectives for women.
She said the gathering was particularly aimed at determining how much women leaders had contributed to the governor’s efforts to improve the lives of women and promote development across the state.
The commissioner said women occupying strategic positions must constantly evaluate whether they had effectively discharged the responsibilities entrusted to them.
While the guest lecturer, Bridget Awosika of Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for bringing women leaders from different sectors together to deliberate on leadership and development.
She urged women leaders to work together, avoid unnecessary conflicts and support one another in their respective workplaces.
Oluseyi Odusola, the Ondo State President of the National Council for Women Societies, urged women and non-governmental organisations to take greater responsibility for mobilising resources to support development initiatives.
Odusola said women must not rely solely on the government, stressing that the government alone could not meet all the needs of society.
BusinessDay reports that the programme, held at Nibanola Motherland and Resort, Ondo State, brought together female permanent secretaries, elected and appointed political office holders, heads of government agencies and parastatals, board chairmen and members, heads of non-governmental organisations and political support groups, among others.