Some Gender advocate experts have called on women at the grassroots and those with business ideas to embrace technology to assist and make themselves relevant.
The experts made the call at a workshop on Friday in Abuja, organised by Women Against Violence and Exploitation, a Foundation advocating for the rights of women in the society.
The workshop is supported by Leadway Assurance Plc.
Dr Omowunmi Hassan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the High Tech Centre for Nigerian Women and Youths, said that all women in the grassroots must work towards becoming literate and making themselves relevant.
She said that they must all work to embrace technology especially those who had Small- and Medium-Scale Business Enterprises (SMEs) to promote their businesses and make them relevant in the society.
According to her, embracing technology will boost their businesses, make them relevant and attract millions of buyers to such businesses.
“Women must work towards getting literate, they should make use of all available means of getting skilled, many women are actually just complacent, maybe they are looking for what will be sustainable for them in terms of economy.
“The truth of the matter is that being a digital literate person gives you an edge over others, if you are able to get into business and you are reaching 10 to 20 people, with digital literacy you can reach millions of people and beyond the borders of wherever you are,” she said.
Hassan said “this is the time for every woman to be skillful and that is the advocacy we are pushing for.”
She said that every woman must see that there is opportunity in technology, adding that she would begin to learn from digital literacy to simple programming.
According to her, some people believe that technology is a man’s world, it is men they know, many of us by the grace of God are doing what we can do with it and you also can do that.
“Make yourself a solution finder to the problem of your community or within the space you find yourself, take the bull by the horns and go ahead with solution, and people will start patronizing you and your business will grow.
“When we say computer, it is not that big machine, even your mobile phone is a computer.
“Learn to use your computer devices, so I want to encourage all females in Nigeria to please as a minimum learn how to use the computer,” she said.
Mr Paul Alaje, a Senior Economist with SPM professionals, said that women must begin to loose themselves from the bondage in which the society puts them.
He said that it is only when women understood that they could truly be free from bondage that they would make themselves relevant.
According to him, the role women play in the family is very important, and they must begin to work hard and make their children learn from them.
He said that it is important for women to know that anything that keeps them at the same point or in the cage without growth, would surely affect the lives of their children and the family at large.
Alaje said that women must begin to work hard to relieve the men of many loads, saying they are the carriers of the future.
Mrs Deborah Apochi, an International trade specialist, also admonished women at the grassroots to embrace technology through various NGOs who had provided that opportunity for them.
She said that embracing technology would surely enhance their skills and made them relevant.
Apochi said that all women must posses the willingness to learn, and that they must not be relegated to the background in this modern times.
She called on all NGOs advocating for women rights to continue to do their best, adding that the task of promoting women course in the society must be a collective one.
“I so much love the theme of 2023 International Women Day, “Embracing Digital”, this must be a collective effort where all women will be carried along.
“We are fully aware that we have some women at the grassroots level that may not have access to this technology but it is the willingness.
“Once there is a willingness to learn by these women, there will be a way out,” she said.
Mrs Lola Ibrahim, President, WAVE Foundation, said that the aim of the foundation is to continue to speak for women who are the less-privileged in the society, as well as work towards alleviation of poverty within the women circle.
She said that the workshop was one of the platforms the NGO was using to assist grassroots women on how to go about things of life and become relevant in the society.
According to her, gender violence mostly happens to women who are redundant in the society and that once a woman is empowered, the likelihood of her getting involve in any kind of violence is minimal.
She said that the foundation would continue to promote the course of women and make them live above board and be relevant in the society.
Ibrahim called on women in the grassroots and those with business ideas, to leverage on whatever opportunity that comes their way.
She said that the foundation purposely called on the experts at the event to come and impact knowledge on grassroots women and those with business ideas.
