Women of Rubies
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ASA TALKS ABOUT HER PERSONALITY, LOVE & DATING, AND BEING A WOMAN AS SHE COVERS SCHICK MAGAZINE

 

Missed the cover for the latest issue? Click here to see it.

The quarterly publication, for smart, stylish and successful African women delves into Aṣa’s life and work, discussing her five-year hiatus from the music scene, the cultural influences that have shaped both her and her craft, and the real change she wants to see in Nigeria.

See excerpts from her interview below;

On Music:

“Music is subjective, some will like what you do, and some won’t. One day, you’re in a 5-star hotel, the next, in a below 1-star hotel. Life is full of ups and downs, and that’s what makes it stimulating. I think the most important thing is never to lose sight of who you are and your purpose in life.”

On Her Personality:

“I don’t take myself too seriously. People think I’m a little uptight, but I like meeting and learning about people. Once we get past the introduction, I end up becoming the class clown!”

On Being a Woman:

“You are simply an angry feminist. No one looks at the fact that being a strong woman is the influence of good parenting and society.”

On Love & Dating:

“It’s either guys think they aren’t in your league or you have 150 sailors waiting at every port to swoon at your feet! Either way, it can be quite lonely and difficult to find someone who doesn’t mind taking the back seat to see you grow and wilfully take you for all you are.”

Credits:

Photography: Seye Isikalu

Creative Direction & Styling: Titi Adesanya

Hair: Janet Nwose

Makeup: Violet Zeng

Location: The Hop Shop, Castle Lavender Farm, Kent

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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“I LOCKED HIM IN A DOG CAGE BECAUSE HE BROKE MY SIDE MIRROR” – WOMAN IN VIRAL VIDEO ASSAULTING 10-YEAR-OLD BOY SAYS

24-year-old Onyinye Mbadike, pictured above, who was arrested by men of the Lagos state police command over the viral video showing her assaulting a 10-year-old boy, Chibike Eziamaka, has said that she meted out the unjust treatment on the little boy because he smashed the side mirror of her car with a stone.

Spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana, said this in a statement he released today August 15, confirming her arrest.

According to Bala, the little boy who is an orphan, was brought to Lagos by Onyinye’s mother who is his aunt. The 24-year-old told the police that she assaulted the boy who is her cousin and locked him in a cage because he was misbehaving.

Read the statement from Bala confirming her arrest below

 


On 14th August, 2019, a team of detectives from the Gender Unit, Command’s Headquarters Ikeja, arrested one Onyinye Mbadike ‘f’ 24yrs of No 7 Trimnell Street, Aguda for assault and child abuse. This followed a viral video on the social media showing the suspect torturing one Chibike EziAmaka ‘m’ 10years old of same address.

The video also showed the suspect locking the boy up in a dog’s kennel, sharing space with dogs. The video was widely condemned by well meaning Nigerians. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu mni ordered the Gender Unit of the Command to identify the Woman in the video, rescue the child and make the suspect face the full weight of the law. Domestic and Sexual Response Team (DSVRT), Alausa Ikeja also added its voice to the call for investigation with a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police to that effect.

The Gender Unit traced the suspect to Chumpe Liquor Store, Surulere and her residence at Aguda. The 10 years old Boy was rescued and taken to a secured shelter. The suspect admitted that she is the one on the viral video flogging the child with belt, but she denied locking the survivor in a cage with dogs. That she only locked him in an empty dog kennel where bags are kept. She  claimed  to have  locked up the Boy  for few hours before bringing him out.  She alleged that the Boy took a hot drink in their refrigerator and was misbehaving. That the suspect smashed the side mirror of her Toyota Camry with stone which made her to detained him in the dog kennel.

Investigation revealed that the survivor lost his parents and was brought to Lagos in 2012 from Anambra State by the Mother of the Suspect along with his two siblings. The suspect and the survivor are cousins. The suspect’s mother is the elder sister of the survivor’s  father.

The suspect will be charged to Court. The Command reiterated its commitment towards protecting the rights of Children and other vulnerable members of the society from all forms of violence and abuses.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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JACKIE AINA NAMED AS GLAMOUR MAGAZINE’S POWER INFLUENCER OF THE YEAR

 

The magazine has this to say about Jackie:

“The 32-year-old social media star isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Her blunt beauty commentary, as well as her sense of humour and infectious personality, have earned her more 3 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Aina brings an unparalleled joy to a space that can sometimes devolve into pettiness and drama.”

Read more on Glamour Magazine.

Photo Credit: Glamour Magazine

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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SEVEN-YEAR-OLD RIHANNA LOOKALIKE LANDS MAJOR MODELING GIG WEEKS AFTER HER PICTURE WENT VIRAL ON INSTAGRAM

Rihanna’s seven-year-old doppelganger has landed her first major modeling contract, just weeks after earning viral fame when the singer posted her picture online.

Ala’a Skyy Baytops, seven, has been signed up by natural hair care company The Mane Choice, less than one month after Rihanna shared her photo with followers on Instagram, where it received a staggering 7.4 million likes.

The job is no doubt the first in a long line of opportunities for the Roanoke, Virgina-based tween, who wowed dozens of A-listers with her remarkable resemblance to the 31-year-old singer – including supermodel Tyra Banks, who launched a search to track Ala’a down, while promising to help her launch her career.

Ala’a was recently announced as an ambassador for The Mane Choice, a hair-care brand focused on natural texture.

The photogenic youngster attended Beauty Con in Los Angeles with the brand over the weekend, where she met fans and posed for selfies while promoting the company’s products.

At the event, she also debuted a knotted bun hair style, referencing a look worn by Rihanna just last week in Barbados.

‘Not only does she have an amazing attitude and work ethic at such a young age, she also loves her hair,’ The Mane Choice CEO and founder Courtney Adeleye told Allure. ‘She understands the benefits of using great products. It’s amazing!’

Sharing the news to Instagram, where she has attracted over 140,000 followers in the blink of an eye thanks to Rihanna’s endorsement, Ala’a thanked the singer for helping launch her modeling career in the first place.

 

 

Credit: dailymail.co.uk

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“I ONCE WALKED INTO A CHANGE ROOM NAKED TO PROVE I WAS A GIRL”- CASTER SEMENYA

Caster Semenya isn’t new to her gender being questioned and used against her. The athlete recently shared that even as youngster she had to sometimes prove she was a woman as her teammates struggled to compete against her. “They started questioning, are you really a girl? One day, I walked naked into the change room [to prove to them],” Semenya was quoted as saying by The Sowetan.

The athlete was speaking at the Standard Bank Top Women Conference held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park in Johannesburg.

The athlete, who also revealed she used to be a soccer player, shared some of the reasons she is as strong and fast as she is. She said she grew up with boys and walked long distances to school. She added that she used to train on sand.

“I think my parents raised me well,” Semenya said. “They have never questioned what I do, my feelings, how I see life. They accepted me for who I am. They could see that this one was a little bit different. I did not like being in the kitchen, but being in the garden. I just wanted to give you background why I am tough, why am I fearless, why I do not care about what other people think about me.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently ruled against Semenya in her case against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) forcing female athletes to regulate their testosterone levels.

Semenya, always resilient, was quoted in May of this year as saying after the ruling: “For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down. But this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the CAS will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

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MEET OMOWUNMI SADIK, INVENTOR OF BIOSENSORS THAT DETECT BOMBS

Meet Omowunmi Sadik, the inventor of microelectrode biosensors that can detect foreign materials and can be used to spot drugs or explosives.

According to patent number 20060275786A1, the request for the patent was filed on December 7, 2006.  Sadik also has patents for additional distinct biosensors

Sadik is a surface chemist, inventor, and college instructor. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1964.  In 1985, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Lagos. She also obtained a Master’s degree in chemistry in 1987.  In 1994, she earned her PhD from Wollongong University in Australia.

Sadik is the recipient of several fellowships to include the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the National Research Council to name a few.

She is also a collaborator with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, UNESCO in Romania, Turkey, and Japan; and previously a panel member for the National Institution of Health on Instrumentation and Systems Development.

In 2012, Sadik in conjunction with Barbara Karn formed the not-for-profit Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization.

Sadik is currently a professor at Binghamton University in Upstate, New York while formulating technology that will recycle metal ions from waste for industrial and environmental purposes.

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TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT TO START PUBLISHING NAMES OF MARRIED MEN TO PROTECT SINGLE WOMEN

Tanzanian Government is reportedly considering publishing the names of married men in the country to limit cheating and protect young women from “unnecessary heartbreaks.”

Speaking on Monday August 12, Dar es Salaam regional commissioner, Paul Makonda said the proposal was considered after he received complaints from several young women in the country who claimed they were being preyed on by married men.

 

“Men have been promising to marry them, then later, they ditch the ladies and this is something that is humiliating.

“These cunning men have left many women nursing heartbreaks and emotional bruises. You’ll find a young man successfully wooing a woman, making her leave every other thing that she does, hoping that the man will marry her, not knowing that he is, indeed, conning her.

“If you look at the laws that we have in the country, there is a clause that protects women, who were promised marriages, only to be used and dumped. We want to use that clause to bring sanity in relationships,” the regional commissioner said.

 

The proposal if adopted, will require all married people to register their marital statuses with the region’s database agency. The information will reportedly be accessed by citizens of the country.

 

“I cannot say I am a leader, when the people I look after are hurting. One of the ideas that we have is to have all the married people register their marital statuses with the region’s database agency. This will help young women promised marriages. It would be easy for them to access the database and find out whether the men who have promised to marry them are people’s husbands or not. In that database, all the marriages, including Christian, customary, Muslim, those filed at the registrar of marriages, will be registered.

“We want to reduce the cases of men conning women in the name of love and marriages. We are planning to meet the State agency in charge of the citizens’ database. Once that meeting is done, you, who lied to a woman that you will marry her, but ended up using and dumping her, be prepared, we are coming for you” he said.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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NIGERIAN DOCTOR, DR ELEANOR NWADINOBI, EMERGES HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL WOMEN’S BODY

A Nigerian, Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, has emerged President-elect of Medical Women International Association (MWIA) in the United States.

The MWIA is a global association of all medical women doctors in the world, Igbere TV reports.

The association’s spokesperson, Dr Udochi Okoronkwo, said in a statement on Monday that Nwadinobi became the first Nigerian to emerge as president-elect of the 100-year-old association, an indication that she would become the International President by 2022, Igbere TV reports.

She said Nwadinobi, who hails from Umuahia, Abia State, was celebrated during the closing ceremony of the Centennial Congress of the MWIA, organised by American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) from July 25 to July 28 in New York.

According to the spokesperson, Nwadinobi joined the association in Nigeria through its Enugu branch in 1982 and rose to become President of the Enugu branch in 1997.

In 2005, the MWIA president-elect was elected as the National President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria and served on the Scientific, Ethics and Resolution Committee and chaired the Finance Committee.

Nwadinobi is also a co-country representative for the Working Group on Women Youth Peace and Security for UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)

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MEET TANZEELA QAMBRANI, PAKISTAN’S FIRST FEMALE LAWMAKER OF AFRICAN DESCENT

Pakistan went to the election voting a month ago and among the legislators selected is a lady of African plunge assigned to a women’s reserved seat at the regional parliament of southern Sindh region.

Tanzeela Qambrani originates from the Sidi, a community made up of a larger part of individuals of African descent.

Qambrani’s progenitors originated from Tanzania simply like the ancestors of numerous Sidi individuals, who are accepted to be either the descendants of slaves conveyed to Asia by the Portuguese or traders and pilgrims.

“My father told us that his grandparents had been brought to Sindh now around a century ago from Tanzania. That’s why one of my sisters is married in Tanzania,” she said.

Photo: Daily Messenger

The Sidi have managed to hold onto their roots and cultures but still face racial discrimination.

“As a tiny minority lost in the midst of local populations, we have struggled to preserve our African roots and cultural expression, but I look forward to the day when the name Sidi will evoke respect, not contempt,” Ms Qambrani, told the BBC.

Qambrani, a member of the  Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of Benazir Bhutto, was nominated by Bhutto’s son Bhutto Zardari, making her the first Sidi to join parliament.

Photo: Twitter

It is not the first time the mother of three who holds a postgraduate in computer science has held political office. She has served as a local councillor in Badin, where she comes from.  She, however, says the new position comes with a lot of responsibility and expectations.

“I can already feel the weight,” she said. “I’m a Sidi, and all these middle class, lower-middle class and working class Sidis know that I’m one of them. And this means there will be expectations.”

Source: Women4Africa

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19-YEAR OLD MIRABELLE MORAH IS BUILDING A STRONG COMMUNITY OF YOUNG AFRICAN WRITERS

Mirabelle Ogochukwu Morah is the 19-year old founder of Blankpaperz, a literary platform for young African writers.

As a teenager, Mirabel had read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie and she was struck by how the writer could capture societal issues in words. So, being a writer, Mirabel decided to start her website just to put up her stories.

Soon, she got all her friends, who are writers to publish their stories on her platform and advocate for societal change through them.

Since its inception, over 100 people from over 12 countries have published on Blankpaperz, with 33, 000 online viewership.

Mirabel hosts events and programs to promote literacy, local leadership and support other social causes. In partnership with other organisations, Mirabel also give out books to promote education.

Mirabel wouldn’t have belived that she could build a community so strong as Blankpaperz but for the books she read growing up.

“..the books I read opened my mind up to the possibilities inside of me. they made me much more confident in myself,” she said.

However, the teenager battled with some feelings of inadequacies before doing it afraid with her platform

“There was always this fear, ‘if I try this, it might fail. What if I’m not good enough? But then, the whole thing was just try. Just be a voice for someone who is voiceless. In as much as you are afraid, you can always overcome the fear,” she said.

Watch her video below;

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