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#RubyGirls| “Charity runs in the blood of my family” – Miracle Sulieyol Igbokoh

Miracle Sulieyol Igbokoh popularly known as Mimi is a Law graduate of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun state and also the Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus.

Mimi who hails from Benue State is the founder of Mirabell Child Education Foundation, an impactful NGO where she and her team reach out to school children and widows.

Let’s meet you. Who is Mimi?

My name is Miracle Sulieyol Igbokoh, I am from Benue State. I am a Law graduate from Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State.


Also a fresh graduate from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus.
I am the Founder of MIRABELL CHILD EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are reading, making research, travelling, singing and making friends.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is to fail my parents, siblings and everyone that look up to me.

Best quote

There is no impossibility for him who stands prepared to conquer every hazard.
The fearful are the failing – Sarah J. Hale.

You are the founder of Mirabell Child Education Foundation where you reach out to school children and widows. What inspired you to start your own foundation and what fueled your desire to start?

Charity runs in the blood of my family.
Growing up, I have always watched my parents make sacrifices for people to our detriment.


I remember one time, we had nothing at home to eat, someone called my dad and requested for an urgent help, my dad at that time just received a payment he was supposed to use to get food for the house and pay our fees, instead of using the money to do the basic things we needed at home, my dad used the money to assist his friend.
So growing up and witnessing how it is so easy for my parents to give, it became a huge part of me and it has also helped in shaping me into the lady that I am today. So for me, charity has always been an inborn pleasure. Right from when I was growing up, I have always loved to put smiles on the faces of people around me. There’s this fulfillment I have, when ever God helps me to meet the need of people. It makes me happy.
I feel like being a care giver is my purpose in life.
I received God’s go ahead to register the NGO on the 24th February 2014. Registering the NGO was to make it official, so it can be accessible to everyone who is interested in being a sponsor or a partner.

Did your upbringing in anyway contribute to everything you do now?

YES.
My immediate environment constitute 75% of the things I do.

What are the major challenges young people who desire to have their own foundations face? Any personal experience and how were you able to deal with these challenges?

It is not easy starting up an NGO.
Almost everyone these days wants to have an NGO, and most who are in the position to help, have supported NGO’S that ended up using the funds that was donated to them for personal use instead of impacting the lives of the people that need it the most.
So getting financial assistance is difficult.
It’s not like I have outgrown that stage, but God has been faithful and has always come through for MICEF.
Since the official registration of my NGO, it has been my personal resources and support from my parents that has financed our outreachs.
During our most recent outreach in February, where we reached out to a school in Mararaba, Nasarawa state and we reached out to widows in Shiloh praise International church in Bwari, along Kaduna road. We had supports from my family, siblings and a few friends. For now, we don’t have sponsors yet, so for me I’ll say getting funds are the major challenges in owning an NGO.

Mention three women who inspire you to be better

1. Mrs Anthonia Igbokoh (My Mom)
2. Mrs Gloria Elijah
3. Mrs Ibukun Awosika

If given the chance to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what will you change?

I would try to eradicate poverty by making sure there are industries in every community within the 36 state in Nigeria, to ensure families in the bottom level get an opportunity to feed at least three times in a day, by creating employment opportunities for their children who are graduate or for themselves.
These industries would serve has a means of employment.

You are a graduate of Law from Joseph Ayo Babalola University and also a graduate of the Nigerian law school, Abuja campus. How has the study of Law influenced you as a person? Any future plans in that field?

Studying law has sharpened my mind, strengthened my understanding and deepened my experience across the full range of humanities and social sciences. It has also broadened my breadth of understanding. Having a law degree equips me for almost any profession that requires intellectual strength combined with a practical approach to the world.
And yes, I have plans of God in the judiciary, God willing.

Notable activities or achievements of Mirabell Foundation? Any memorable or defining moment with the foundation?

The defining moment for me, was during our last outreach to the widows in Bwari, during my interaction with the widows they said our coming was a divine intervention for them, telling me how even getting a cup of rice was difficult for them, I felt fulfilled being able to reach out to them.

The number of widows we had was beyond our expectation.

Another defining moment for me, was how God miraculously provided all we needed for the outreach, two weeks to the outreach we only had 5k in the account, in the space of few days God used the C.E.O of Peaceful Peace Import and Export Investment Company to donate 100k, that was someone I have never met or spoken to before. I was really overwhelmed with joy. It was a defining moment for me, because it was the first 100k support we have ever gotten from an outsider.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

With the help of God, I see myself in the next 5 years impacting more lives and becoming more. I also see us having an office for Mirabell Child Education Foundation and not just reaching out to people within Abuja, I see us touching lives in the 36 states of Nigeria and even outside Nigeria as a country.

If you were given the opportunity to address a group of girls five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them?

My advice to them would be; They should believe in themselves, with the help of God they can achieve anything they set their hearts to do.
And they should make proper use of their time, in order to achieve their goals in due time.

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How Regular exercise could benefit your immunity

Staying at home has become a s part of social distancing measures to limit the transmission of the novel coronavirus. In some countries currently, people are being encouraged to exercise once a day.

Although, there have been some wrong assumptions that exercise suppress the immune system. This is wrong because exercise benefits our immune system. In fact, it has been found to improve the way people respond to vaccines.

A study has show that people who are active get fewer respiratory tract infections per year than less-active people. So, exercise doesn’t suppress immunity – instead, it may help the immune system function better.

At a basic level, the immune system has three main lines of defence. Exercise helps maintain the normal function of each of these.

“Regular moderate intensity aerobic exercise – such as walking or jogging – is beneficial for maintaining normal immune function. You should aim to do about 150 minutes of these types of exercise a week,” stated some UK lecturers.

Resistance exercise such as Weightifting also has clear benefits for health and wellbeing in general, being a resistance ecercise, it alleviates psychological distress, and helps in maintaining strength, balance and coordination.

Due to the current circumstances, it’s important to exercise in isolation and maintain good personal hygiene, washing hands following exercise.

In addition,  you should also pay attention to getting a good night’s sleep and maintaining a healthy diet to give the body its best chance at fighting off infections.

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ARISE WOMEN support Lagos Covid-19 response team with medical supplies

ARISE WOMEN, a charity organisation, donated medical supplies to Lagos State Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Team as part their efforts to fight covid-19. The founder is a Lawyer of 35years cognate experience, Dr. Siju Iluyomade.

The donations includes 4,000 sanitizers; 20,000 hand gloves and 4,000 facemasks, would equip the medical team with necessary protective gears needed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

The founder/convener, said the organisation gives priority to health, because sound health was necessary for  well-being and productive citizenry.

“ARISE takes health very seriously because you need to be in sound health to do anything tangible. Apart from the donation of personal protective materials, ARISE has free medicals outreach at the Healing Stripes Hospital for Women every second and last Wednesday of every month.

“Also, under our adopt-a-village Scheme, we have adopted many villages In Abuja. We built a full-fledged functional borehole in three of the villages for the schools and separate ones for the communities and their leaders, we built full resource & literacy centres, complete renovations of schools, supplies of stationeries, books and brand-new classroom furniture,” she said.

She stressed that the succour and the success stories recorded over the years had inspired the organization to do more and touch the lives of more Nigerians.

“When you see that overwhelming look on the faces of the women, children and men at times, you even think you have to do more and you see them so elated and thanking God for ARISE. We cannot help but keep going, knowing we are touching and affecting lives positively and giving hope to those that are almost giving up.

“ARISE is all about educating and empowering the women knowing fully well that if you educate, impart knowledge in the woman and empower her, she in turn will do the same for her children who are the leaders of tomorrow. She will lift up her family, support her spouse and the list is unending, thereby bringing a better future and hope to her loved ones, community and ultimately, her nation,” she said.

The protective materials were presented to the Lagos State government as part of attempt to support on-site operations and protect health workers as they work to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Lagos State.

For over 11 years, ARISE has continued to reach out to many without bias, staring with its pioneer charity work labelled: “Faith and Works” that is over 20 years old.

According to Dr. Iluyomade, these tough times call for payers and goodwill. She said: “Let’s remember the poor; let’s reach out with food, hand wash, sanitisers, gloves, mask and other relief materials. It is very important to also remember the health workers, Doctors, Nurses, Lab technicians, cleaners who are all on the frontline, lets pray for them and their families” she said.

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Claire Karekezi Is The First And Only Female Neurosurgeon In Rwanda

An overcomer of the massacre that cleared Rwanda more than two decades back is impacting the world forever as the nation’s first female neurosurgeon

Claire Karekezi longed for turning into a specialist in the midst of a youth scarred by massacre. Toward the beginning of July, the 35-year-old will return home as the solitary female neurosurgeon in Rwanda.

As a kid experiencing childhood in Rwanda amid the 1980s and ’90s, Claire Karekezi longed for turning into a specialist. In any case, what she calls her “directing star” has taken her a long ways past that underlying objective to join the positions of what is maybe prescription’s most requesting claim to fame.

Claire Karekezi was brought up in Rwanda. She finished her therapeutic school and qualified as a Medical Doctor (MD) from the University of Rwanda (UR) in March, 2009.

Claire’s LinkedIn Profile:

“My story with Neurosurgery starts In June, 2007 while on my 5th year of Medical training; I had the opportunity to be in an exchange program through the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and the chance to be in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Linkoping Teaching Hospital (Sweden) under Professor Jan Hillman, Professor of Neurosurgery, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery; who became a crucial element in my career becoming my very first Mentor. This was a huge inspiration to Neurosurgery as for the first time I had seen and touched the “Human Brain”.

Later in February 2009, I was selected for the very competitive “Elective program” at Oxford University/John Radcliffe Hospital (Neurosurgery Department), and spent 6 weeks observing Dr Cadoux-Houdson. It was then clear in my head: I knew I wanted to become a Neurosurgeon!! Where? How? I had no idea!!! That time Rwanda barely had 1 Neurosurgeon/11M and no local training program in Neurosurgery!”

Despite almost insurmountable difficulties for such practice and training in my Country and the rest of Africa, I did not give up. April 2011, I was finally admitted for a full five-year residency program at Mohamed V University/Rabat WFNS Reference center for the training of African Neurosurgeons thanks to Pr. El Khamlichi A and his team. I graduated as a Neurosurgeon in may 2016.

I, from July 2017 joined my clinical fellowship in NeuroOncology and Skull Base Surgery at Toronto Western Hospital/UHN/UofT for a year and have had an incredible opportunity to be with the Giants in Neurosurgery.
I wish to contribute to the Neuro-Oncology Practice in Rwanda and SSA. I will be becoming the first Female Neurosurgeon in my country and hope to be an inspiration to young female wishing to become Neurosurgeons.

Claire has spent the last year at Toronto Western Hospital, honing her skills in neuro-oncology and skull base surgery, specializing in the removal of brain tumours.

Providing that service to brain cancer patients in a country with only one hospital-based MRI and few CT scanners will be a daunting task, but it’s one Karekezi is determined to overcome, just as she has all the challenges and sacrifices needed to fulfil her childhood dream.

 

Source: Women Africa

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“Many people are suffering from depression and anxiety because of Covid-19”– Rinret Gofwan

 – Says Government need to set up Mental health facilities and distress lines as soon as possible….

One of the downsides of the present change the world is experiencing because of the Coronavirus pandemic is the effect it would have on the mental health of so many people globally. Many have never been in situations where they have to stay in one place and not move around. While the social distancing and lockdown is a necessary safety measure to flatten the curve of COVID virus, we also need to create mental safe space for everyone.

Rinret Gofwan shares her thoughts on this. She is a behavioural change therapist, licensed trauma therapist, a certified emotional intelligence coach who specialises in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Advanced Training for Trauma Treatment of complex PTSD, overcoming compassion fatigue with professional resiliency, trauma and addiction.

Rinret is a University of Abuja Trained Communicator and Psychologist from the University of Jos, and a Sociologist From the University of Maiduguri with a Masters in International Relations and Strategic Studies. She is also the founding director at the Miriam Gofwan Women and Children Foundation. She shares her inspiring story while giving us an insight on how coronavirus will affect the mental health of people globally.

Growing up
Growing up as an only child, I was spoilt with everything. Looking back, I was an over-pampered child. My late mum wanted me to have everything life had to offer until she passed on. So at 16 years, I was alone, I didn’t know how to wash my clothes; it was at that moment life welcomed me. I had to start learning and I had to adapt and survive.

Inspiration behind Miriam Gofwan Women and Children Foundation and its impact
I always get this question and I’m always trying to figure out which life lesson to start with.  Is it being accused of witchcraft, being abused and raped or almost losing my life in an accident? All these alongside my near-death experience inspired me to start the organisation. I disconnected from reality and built a personality. I couldn’t face my life as it was, suffered from pain and disassociating (disconnecting-from reality and couldn’t feel anything). I was fortunate to meet my mentors, Innocent and Talatu Usar, who God used to pull me through that phase of my life.

Being a Behavioural Change Therapist, Certified EI Coach, Trained Communicator and managing it all
Well when you are addicted to finding ways to heal, you will stumble into many training. In my trauma healing work, I need to be equipped with the right tools that would help in healing, so I committed myself to learn. You know people respond differently to trauma; what might be traumatic to someone might not be to you. How we react and respond to traumatic events are different. With this in mind, I went into learning and this has helped me understand my clients and knowing what tool to use in any case we have at the Foundation and the wellbeing hub.

What inspired me to start the pan-Nigeria healing room and the wellbeing hub for professionals
You see, the pain has no gender, no religion, no status no tribe, no class. Pain does not choose who feels it, we ALL feel pain; either from losing a loved one, loss of our childhood, abuse of any kind (verbal, emotional and physical) heartbreaks, disappointment, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, accusation or any traumatic experience. We are constantly trying to deal with these emotional issues and staking them side by side.

When emotions are over-staked and thoughts can’t be controlled, we need to devise methods to help. That’s how the Healing Room and the hub for professionals started; to enlighten, help and give professionals a place to go seek for help. The Healing Room became a place we go to sort out all these stacked up emotions, a no-judgment zone where you speak up and get healed. Coming to the healing room to some is like coming for medical checks monthly or weekly. To others, it is like coming to take vaccines to reset their minds; to some, it’s coming for medications in each session. To some, it is a place to support others who are in pain. To some, it is a place to hang out and stay emotionally healthy with proper guidelines.
Above all, it is a place of restoring wholeness for professionals.

Mental health effect of coronavirus pandemic and what can we do as a society to sensitise people
The first thing is to encourage people to stay calm, already I have many clients who are suffering from depression and anxiety because of the situation and we kicked off online group sessions to help them.

The truth is, being isolated is not healthy for people who are not used to such serenity, or people who have had a history of depression. What mental health practitioners can do right now is to start using technology and phone calls to help manage their clients, I have started on my end and I hope many more will go that route. The government would need to leverage on technology to also enable people to get first-hand mental health help online, by providing distress numbers to call. This will make a lot of difference.

Wellness nuggets for women who don’t know how to slam the breaks and detox
You see, mental and emotional wellbeing is an important part of our overall health. Women who are mentally and emotionally healthy are more in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Women need to understand how to master their emotions and know how to be balanced in all seven dimensions of wellbeing, which are social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, Intellectual and physical. Stress is the feeling of being under too much pressure and feeling unable to cope with situations. Women who are constantly affected by stress in different ways end up getting sick and over time, ending up with mental health and physical issues.

Here are some things women can do to help reduce stress, constantly and instantly, over a period time:
Learning how to say NO, breathe; learn to relax your mind and body, try breathing exercises that can calm you down when under stress, exercise, get Spa dates to help release tension. Sleep – try to go to bed and wake up at a good time, laughing to relieve stress, talk- open up to someone you trust about your problems, and surround yourself with people who inspire you.


Challenges of Being a Mental Health Advocate
Mental health stigma, our justice systems, religious believes around mental health issues, funding for the foundation, consistency in following the therapy processes, the high rate of people in rural areas who are not aware of mental health issues, and how poverty has made them turn all issues of mental health to spiritual issues, the deliverance centers where they beat and abuse those with behavioural issues instead of therapy homes and the lack of mental health therapy centers.

 

Other projects and activities
We are currently working with some government agencies to launch and fix our sanitary pad boxes across the country in communities and public schools. We have opened our sanitary bank where we receive sanitary pads for distribution to schools and communities. We are opening more healing room therapy groups in five other states. We designed some trauma-informed course outlines to help schools and organizations. We recently just opened the wellbeing hub in Abuja, where we attend to clients who want private therapy and want trauma-informed trainings and care for their schools and organisations.

What makes you a Woman of Rubies
For me the stone ruby is also believed to protect self and others from negative entities that bring positive energy, promoting spiritual vitality and wellness. Now this describes the woman I have become- a strong woman who has gone through a lot and survived, coming out beautiful, standing strong and helping thousands of men and women. Now, that describes me!

As a counselor of repute and certified Trauma specialist, do you think the Nigerian Government has done enough in the Mental Health sector? If not, what would you suggest they do better?
I believe the government can do more by setting up more mental health facilities and rehabilitation centers; creating awareness around mental health issues and the stigma around it; reforming the justice process in rape cases and how evidence is processed; setting up therapy session and mental health training for our men and women in uniform; creating a safe working environment for women and young girls to speak up, not be shamed and judged; including mental health sessions in our school curriculums, and making sure we have sanitary pads and the boxes hanging everywhere in the country.

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MultiChoice beams light on four Nigerian women defying stereotypes through filmmaking

In honour of women’s history month, last march, MultiChoice Nigeria beamed light on four young women, who are defying every odd there is to follow their dreams of telling the African story through film.

Uchenna Eileen Ugwu

Uchenna Eileen Ugwu
Ugwu knew from when she was just a little girl that she wanted to make films. She went on to study Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Now 24, Ugwu’s passion for film keeps growing more than ever. After undergoing training at the Multichoice Talent Factory (MTF), she went from wanting to only write scripts, to realizing that she can do so much more.

A film she co-wrote and line-produced – made it to the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) while a mini documentary she wrote and co-produced, named – Plastic Treasures – won the spotlight award at the Mobile Film Festival in Paris, France this past year.

Ugwu has also started a production company and hopes to make films that will show the lives of people whose stories we never heard.

Precious Iroagalachi
Iroagalachi studies Sociology from the University of Port-Harcourt. Like Uchenna, she got her shot at filmmaking when she won a scholarship into the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) to study Film and Television Production.

Precious Iroagalachi

Iroagalachi has co-produce an award-winning mini documentary – Plastic Treasures, which won the Spotlight Award at the Mobile Film Festival in France, as well as worked as Camera Operator for two feature length films currently showing on SHOWMAX – Life of Bim and DreamChaser. The latter she says has been “the most challenging and fulfilling thing I’ve done, asserting myself as a cinematographer in Nollywood.”

As one would expect, the biggest challenge has been having to prove that she is much more than just a pretty face. “I always work hard not to be the weakest person in the room because in a way, that is expected,” she says.

Ronke Adeola
Ronke Adeola, quitted her 9 to 5 easily to pursue her filmmaking dreams , but nothing could quite prepare her for the difficulties she ran into when she exhausted her savings. It took her a couple of years to find her footing and even though she still doesn’t earn as much as she earned at her bank job, the Art History graduate is a lot more fulfilled making films and telling stories that matter.

Ronke Adeola

Since quitting her bank job, Adeola has worked on a number of cool projects including the film adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of A Yellow Sun where she worked as a Producer’s assistant. Her film, Awani has gotten into major film festivals across the world and bagged Award of Merit from the Impact documentary Awards and UNESCO prize from the Belgium UNESCO commission.

“Awani is by far my biggest achievement. Everything that came after that has been a big bonus.”

“If we are going to spend 16 hours in one location, we need access to proper toilets. If filming lasts till 4am, women have different security needs, how are we supposed to get home safely? The inclusion of women can be improved with better logistical planning and setting up funding for women led projects. That being said, the future is getting brighter for women filmmakers. We just have to be steadfast and also make sure we are opening doors for other women behind us,”she said.

Blessing Bulus
Bulus has got a versatile skill set, from production, cinematography, costuming, production management to editing. Fresh out of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism where she studied Mass Communication, Bulus was selected as part of the 20 students from West Africa to undergo training in filmmaking at the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF).

Blessing Bulus

Her recent and highest  project is tittled Aljana where she worked as the Associate Producer. Like some of her idols including Rama Thiaw, Ava Duvernay, Caroline Reucker and Mo Abudu, Bulus dreams of telling stories that will resonate with a global audience. “I never dream to make Nigerian/African cinema,” she says. “I dream to make Cinema. I look forward to seeing films that outlive the filmmakers and to achieve that, I have to dig into my inner self and tell the truest form of what I feel.”

For full article click here

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Latasha Ngwube has a Lot to be Thankful for after Escaping a Major disaster in her home

Media personality Latasha Ngwube has taken to her Instagram to reveal how she narrowly escaped a major disaster on Sunday after the ceiling in her bathroom collapsed. Latasha explained that the incident happened moments before she was about to take a shower.

Photos from the aftermath of the collapse show her broken bathtub and a gaping hole in her ceiling. She thanked God for saving her life as she might have been seriously harmed if the ceiling had fallen when she was already taking a shower.

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Photo Credit: @latashalagos

 

Source: Bellanaija

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Covid-19: A Woman has been Fined For Taking Turtle For A Walk In Rome

An Italian woman who took her pizza-sized turtle out for a walk has been fined 400 euros (₦169,838.82) by the Roman police for breaking strict coronavirus confinement rules.

Italians need a justifiable reason to be out on the street in the middle of a pandemic that has officially claimed more than 20,000 lives in the Mediterranean country since February according to AFP.

Taking your dog out for a walk is viewed as a good enough reason to leave your home. But it seems taking your turtle out for one is not.

The Roman police said,

The 60-year-old woman was caught outside her home without a justifiable reason” and fined. The woman was walking with a turtle.

Roman police spokesman Nunzio Carbone said that the woman was fined 400 euros because it was “not a justifiable excuse”.

Italian authorities reported issuing a record 16,545 fines on Easter Monday, a national holiday in the largely Catholic country.

Another 13,756 fines were issued on Sunday.

Italians have been joking on social media about renting out their dogs to anyone who was going stir crazy and needed a good excuse to go out.

The spokesperson said the turtle was “as big as a pizza” but not wearing a leash.

The death rate due to coronavirus has been very high in Italy. However, the US has overtaken Italy with the highest coronavirus deaths.

 

Source: Guardian

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Read Adaeze loving birthday message from her husband

 With a picture of her, he wrote:

Happy 30th Birthday to my darling wife and mom to our beautiful kids.

Askim, you’re unbelievably precious to me…and I’m so happy to celebrate another year with you.

May this special day bring you lots of moments cherish.
I am so proud and blessed to call you my wife.

Thank you for being an amazing partner. My life is better because of you!
I adore you my queen!
Love you Now and Forever 🖤

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One in 4 women is not free to say no to sex – UN report

About half the world’s women can make their own decisions on sexual consent and health care, according to the United Nations. It cautions that such limited rights stand in the way of gender equality.

According to a study by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) that found women’s rights declining in some countries, one in four women were not free to say no to sex, and a higher proportion were unable to make their own decisions about health care.

“Women’s ability to make decisions on reproductive health, contraceptive use and sexual relations is pivotal to gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights,” the UNFPA said in the report.

The UNFPA looked at women’s access to health care and whether they could make their own decisions on contraception and say no to sex but just 55% of women were able to say yes to all three questions, according to survey data collected from 57 countries.

“If she can make those decisions in all three areas, that woman is seen as empowered,” Emilie Filmer-Wilson, UNFPA human rights adviser told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The research found that for one in 10 countries, women must be married to get maternity health care, and more than 25% of countries have age restrictions for access to contraception and require married women to get their husband’s consent for an abortion.

Filmer-Wilson said that factors affecting women’s abilities to make their own decision included their education levels, the age they married and the views of their husbands. “For the general public, I think it’s a wake-up call,” she said. “We’ve got more work to do in terms of women’s empowerment.”

The research also found that three-quarters of the countries it studied had laws in place to guarantee women’s rights, but those laws may exist in countries with cultural or religious customs and practices that restricted their rights.

Source: Face to Face  Africa 

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