Speech by Her Excellency Hajiya Aisha Babangida delivered on her behalf by her representative Ms. Annette Stephen, Administrative Secretary, Better life Program for the African Rural Woman at the Pride Women Conference 2017 on the 24th of November 2017.
When it comes to understanding the woman, our role, our versatility, whether it is with our work, relationships or marriage, just know that you are delving into one of the most passion driven subjects of all time.
The woman is a masterpiece of creation, one that has been designed to be a “qualified personality”, meaning that in most situations and circumstances, we always know what to do. We have been crafted to be multitasking in nature; and irrespective of the seemingly bombarding tasks we are engaged with, we never fail to do a fine job and a lasting one at that too.
I liken a woman to a lioness, we are very analytical, subtle, and tactical; we can muster all the patience in the world needed to achieve a task. Hence, we are worthy of commendation because of our doggedness and “never say die” attitude. We are tough and in no way a push over when it comes to creativity and ingenuity.
When it comes to women at work “two things are involved”. We are passion driven and can get emotional when things are either done right or done wrong; when a task is given (supposing we are the boss) and the subordinate does it excellently, we (the boss) will shower praise on the staff and in some scenarios, see this staff as a “go-to” person for future assignments. On the flip-side, if the staff does a shoddy job and brings in poor or below average result, such staff is going to be sidelined from future productive tasks. Our emotion, a lot of times gets the better of us, and sometimes can be the bane of our career or be the best thing that can happen to us. As long as we love the job or the business, we will invest heart, soul and resources to make sure it works. The only time you would see something fail when committed to us women, is when we are not interested or when we have lost interest in it. And if we are treated nicely and with respect, even as a subordinate, we will give the task all our attention.
In the area of relationships, we are not in the dark about what we want out of any relationship, whether it is platonic, casual, intimate or marriage. We woman are very intuitive. We are highly organized and territorial when it comes to our involvements with the opposite sex. When a woman is emotionally connected to someone, it is a beautiful phenomenon, as we would go to any extent to please and defend what is ours.
Consequently, most of us have been touted to be overbearing in our relationships, and sometimes become control enthusiasts. Most times, our anger and obsessions can be justified or often times overlooked. It sometimes forms a cloud of animosity that needs to be contained.
Some of us women play down on our skills and talents because we want to please our men or boost their ego. That is totally wrong! We shouldn’t sell ourselves short because we don’t want our men sidelined. He should learn from us too. Be the best you can be all day, every day. An independent woman is really attractive.
In the area of marriage, our God-given attributes of wife, mother, friend, helper, and caregiver, is heightened. Our multitasking aptitude come to its full effectiveness at this stage. The new home ourselves and our husbands have started must be structured, from the house paintings, to the curtains, to the couch colors, the kitchen, toilet and the bedroom, the home is our kingdom to regulate. We should see to it that the wheels of the growth and productivity of the family doesn’t stop turning and is properly oiled. In some cases, because of our industriousness, most of us women tend to bring home more money than our husbands. This shouldn’t make the man feel threatened by any means, because whatever we bring home is for the family: our husband and the kids can’t afford to suffer or be seen as less in the society.
Our roles in these three aspects of life cannot be downtrodden or overemphasized. We are a pillar, a rock, a confidant, a sustainer, a counselor, a mother, a friend, a wife, a sister and God’s masterpiece. We may have our issues owing to our personality, but we are the most beautiful creature to walk the face of the earth.
Thank you.
