Women of Rubies
Category

Career Gems

Category
In Career Gems By

FUNMI IYANDA’S DEBUT MOVIE ‘WALKING WITH SHADOWS’ PREMIERES AT BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

Featuring a stellar cast of Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Wale Ojo, Ozzy Agu, Zainab Balogun, Funsho Adeolu, and more, the movie is an adaptation of Jude Dibia’s book of the same title, and is centred around a man whose search for validation and love caused him to create a personality at variance with his true self and more acceptable to the society.

Speaking about the premiere, Funmi Iyanda said: “Through the unique way the plot unfolds, the film fully explores many pressing societal issues and promotes the importance of self-discovery and acceptance in a cultural society.”

“It is an honor to premiere this movie at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. We are definitely thrilled by the opportunity to share this with the international community and hope they are inspired by it as much as we are,” she added.

The BFI London Film Festival is an annual event held in the United Kingdom for two weeks in October, with cooperation from the British Film Institute.

‘Walking with Shadows’ will show again at the festival tomorrow, 10 October, 2019.

Funmi-Iyanda, Aoife-OKelly and Ozzy-Agu doing-media-rounds-for-Walking-with-Shadows-movie-screening-at-BFI-London-Film-Festival

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

#SEXFORGRADES: “I WAS SEXUALLY HARASSED IN THE UNIVERSITY” – EKITI STATE’S FIRST LADY, BISI FAYEMI

Bisi Fayemi, wife of the Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi, has narrated how she was sexually harassed in the University, in reaction to BBC’s hour long #sexforgrade documentary which exposed randy lecturers in some Universities in Nigeria and Ghana.

Bisi said she was luckier than some of the victims because hers didn’t go far, but she noted it was an unpleasant experience.

The Ekiti state First Lady who has already opened a register to name and shame sex offenders, stated that watching the video made her realize that it is time to speak up and speak out for sexual abuse victims and not silence them because the culture of silence has endured enough. She added that most lecturers feel they are entitled to the body of their female students.

“I cried because what this young women have experience is the story of many of us who passed through higher institution in this country,” she said.

“I was educated here in Nigeria and I too was a victim of sexual harassment during my university days. I was luckier than these victims. It didn’t go that far but it was extremely unpleasant and of course back in the days when all these things happened you can’t tell anyone because if you do even up till now people ask you to keep shut.

“You know people don’t talk about things like this. I was watching the documentary and there were three words that came to me, one is voice, it is time to speak up and speak out and for those who do we need to stand with them and stand by them and not silence them because the culture of silence has endured enough.

“Another word that came to me was accountability, we need to be accountable whether there are parents, guidance or teachers or leaders in any form through out the different section of society. We have to be accountable for the well being and health of the young people in our care, from when our children come to say mummy, uncle so so and so touched me and instead of asking further to find out what’s its all about, we should act.

“There has to be accountability and the third thing that came to mind was justice, justice for victim or I choose to call them survivors and so those of us who have worked in the women’s whether at international level or Africa or national air in Nigeria, we know that we have many law and policies in place that are supposed to guard against things such as this but this law sometimes means very little because there is inadequate political” she said.

 

 

Credit: LIB

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

AISHA BUHARI CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT AGAINST STUDENTS

First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has called for urgent action to address sexual harassment against students.

Mrs Buhari made the call during the exclusive screening of the BBC Africa Eye ‘Sex for Grades’ documentary on Monday night in Lagos.

The First Lady lamented that the issue of sexual harassment against women was not unique to universities, but has become prevalent in the society, including religious settings.

Mrs Buhari, represented by Aisha Rimi, a lawyer, condemned sexual harassment against students, saying it was unacceptable as the nation’s educational system had suffered many setbacks that had hindered its development.

“This simply has to change. It is no longer enough to sweep allegations under the carpet or force victims to withdraw their allegations, victimise or stigmatise them,” she said.

Mrs Buhari stressed that there are laws to protect victims of sexual harassment and abuse, but such laws cannot operate except victims speak out to get justice.

Mrs Buhari advised women that their dignity and self respect should outweigh whatever challenge they face, stating her support to ensure a sexual abuse free society for women.

She commended the BBC team for their hard work, bravery and tenacity to expose the ills facing students in the country’s tertiary institutions.

Also, Bisi Fayemi, Wife of Ekiti Governor, said it was time to speak up, speak out and stand by victims of sexual abuse, saying the culture of silence must end.

According to her, universities should have clear sexual and violence policies that will protect students and the sanctity of the educational system.

Mrs Fayemi called for a sexual offence register that would contain list of indicted lecturers, thus preventing them from moving to another university if sacked from one, to commit similar atrocity in another institution.

She stressed the need to be accountable for the well being and care of the young ones, ensure justice for survivor of sexual abuse and the political will to prosecute and punish offenders.

Mrs Fayemi urged the society to desist from shaming survivors of sexual abuse, rather name, shame and punish offenders to serve as deterrents to others.

Toun Sonaiya, Chief Executive Officer, WFM Radio, said everyone should collectively amplify their voices against issues of sexual harassment and abuse against girls and women.

She advocated a safe environment that would enable women share their experiences without fear, and ensure diligent investigation and prosecution of offenders of such allegations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Sex for Grades” is a 53 minutes documentary that exposes alleged sexual harassment against students by lecturers in the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and University of Ghana, Legon.

The documentary features the personal story of Kiki Mordi, an investigative journalist with WFM Radio, who worked with the BBC Africa Eye team to expose the ills in the Universities, based on her personal experience of sexual harassment by lecturers.

During the year-long investigation, journalists posing as students made secret recordings of male academics who harass and abuse young women.

The investigation was conducted by BBC Africa Eye to expose the problem of sex for grades faced by students in many higher institutions. (NAN)

 

Credit: Premium Times, NAN

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

JOURNALIST, KIKI MORDI REVEALS SHE HAS RECEIVED ‘SUBTLE THREAT’ SINCE THE RELEASE OF BBC AFRICA EYE’S #SexForGrades INVESTIGATION

Kiki Mordi revealed she is not bothered by those threats as the project was inspired by her personal experience which led to her dropping out of the University and becoming a graduate.

In an exclusive interview with Sahara Reporters, she said,

I have received subtle threats since this work was completed but I am not bothered because the BBC takes the security of employees seriously.

Before embarking on this project, the team prayed a lot and also sang because it helped to calm the nerves. But I had to go through the training I received over and over again because I wanted to get it right.

The biggest goal of this work was to be louder than the aggressor because sexual harassment is very loud. I wanted it to be silenced.

I am happy that a lot is changing already since the documentary was release and I can confirm to you that one of the lecturers at the University of Lagos caught sexually harassing a prospective student has been dismissed by the institution.

I believe it doesn’t stop there until there is a conviction. We have to break that culture of impunity.

Since the video went viral, the exposed UNILAG lecturer has been suspended and barred by the Management of the University. The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria also announced the suspension of Boniface Igbeneghu on Monday.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

SIMONE BILES BECOMES THE MOST DECORATED FEMALE GYMNAST

22-year-old US gymnast, Simone Biles collected her 21st career medal at the world gymnastics championships on Tuesday, bringing her career gold to 15.

Biles was part of the United States women’s team who retained their all-around title.

This win breaks the tie between Biles and Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina for the most medals by a woman at the world championships.

According to The Guardian, Simone Biles said: ”Every year it feels better and better just because we’re adding to the legacy. I feel like I never think of records. I just go out there and do what I came to do, which is compete for the country”.

Biles is now 2 medals short of Belarus’ Vitaly Scherbo who holds the all-time record, among men or women, of 23.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

YEMI ALADE SUBMITS LATEST ALBUM, ‘WOMAN OF STEEL’ FOR GRAMMY CONSIDERATION

Yemi Alade’s fourth studio album, ‘Woman of Steel’ has been submitted for Grammy’s consideration.

The album has 15 tracks. On October 6, 2019, the Nigerian superstar who recently signed a deal with Universal Music France made the announcement via her Twitter handle.

She wrote that, “We’re up for GRAMMY AWARD Consideration! Reaching out to all voting members of @recordingacademy to consider my Album, #WomanofSteel for Best World Music Album! “This has been an incredible project and I would love to celebrate it with all of you.””

In the past, Nigerian acts such as Seun Kuti and Femi Kuti have been nominated in the category but have never won.

 

 

Credit: pulse.ng

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

RIHANNA TO RELEASE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY – ‘THE RIHANNA BOOK’

The 504-paged masterpiece contains over 1,050 colored photos and 11 special inserts documenting Rihanna’s decorated career which will be published by Phaidon.

A press statement for the book reads:

From her childhood in Barbados to her worldwide tours, from quintessential fashion moments to private time with friends and family, the book showcases intimate photographs of her life as a musician, performer, designer, and entrepreneur. Many of these images have never before been published.

Rihanna said in a statement,

Over 5 years in the making… happy to finally share this collection of incredible memories. Thank you to all of the photographers and artists that contributed and to @phaidonsnaps for working with me to publish my first piece of art in a new industry!

Photo Credit: Phaidon

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

WENDY WILLIAMS TO RECEIVE 2677TH STAR ON HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

US Talk Show host, Wendy Williams will receive the 2,677th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 17, a week after music mogul Tommy Mottola will be honoured with the 2,676th star.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Williams’ scheduled honour on Monday, one of the 35 honorees in the Class of 2020 announced in June by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee..

Williams will be given the award in the television category and will be placed on Hollywood Boulevard near stars of “American Horror Story” creator Ryan Murphy and actor Jason Bateman.

The dedication will be at 6533 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Hudson Apartments, beginning at 11.30 am, California time. The organisers said the event will be live-streamed exclusively on www.walkoffame.com

The Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2020 are:

In the category of MOTION PICTURES: Mahershala Ali, Batman, Ruth E. Carter, Laurence Fishburne, Chris Hemsworth, Spike Lee, Julia Roberts, Octavia Spencer and Lina Wertmüller

In the category of TELEVISION: Christina Applegate, Andy Cohen, Cindy Crawford, Terry Crews, Harry Friedman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Nigel Lythgoe, Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Ward, Wendy Williams, Dr. Phil McGraw and Andy Kaufman (Posthumous)

In the category of RECORDING: Elvis Costello, Sir Lucian Grainge, Billy Idol, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Alicia Keys, Andy Madadian, Mo Ostin, Bobby Rydell, Alejandro Sanz, Tanya Tucker and Muddy Waters (Posthumous)

In the category of LIVE THEATRE/LIVE PERFORMANCE: Dave Chappelle and Billy Porter

In the category of RADIO: Susan Stamberg

Here is the citation for Williams:

Wendy Williams, born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, has a career in media that expands over 30 years. She is a media mogul, philanthropist, entrepreneur, performer and best-selling author who is best known for her nationally syndicated talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. Recently extended by FOX Television Stations through 2022, and broadcast in more than 50 countries, the program has been nominated for multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. Its place in pop culture has earned memorabilia from the show a place in the Smithsonian Museum. The Wendy Williams Show, now in its 11th season, isproduced and distributed by Debmar-Mercury and averages more than 1.6 million viewers an episode.

Staples of the show include Wendy’s signature segment, “Hot Topics,” in which Wendy gives her candid, unfiltered opinion on today’s pop culture stories, and also includes a diverse mix of interviews with celebrity guests from television, film, music and sports. Both Williams and the show have earned Daytime Emmy nominations for “Best Talk Show Host” and “Best Entertainment Talk Show.”

Prior to achieving success in daytime television, Williams built a devoted fan base throughout a successful 23-year career in radio with “The Wendy Williams Experience,” a top-rated daily show. Syndicated nationally, it aired on WBLS in New York and was listened to by an audience of more than 12 million people. One of the most popular personalities in radio, Williams was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November of 2009 – one of only a handful of women with that honor.

With TV, Broadway and film performances to her name, Williams is a seasoned performer, both as herself and in character. Her television credits include appearances on NBC’s 30 Rock as herself, competing on Season 12 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, hosting Game Show Network’s original series Love Triangle, and appearing as a featured guest on ABC’s One Life to Live and Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva. She also appeared in the major motion picture Think Like a Man, Think Like A Man Too, and took center stage as “Mama Morton” in the Tony-winning revival of the musical Chicago.

In the spring of 2014, Williams released her seventh book and first romance novel, Hold Me in Contempt (Harper Collins). The book became a New York Times Best-Seller the first day of its release and sales continue to thrive among her fans.

Currently, Williams is developing and will executive produce a biopic and a documentary for Lifetime Television with the focus on her early days in urban radio to the success of her own syndicated talk show.

 

 

 

Credit: PM News

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

KIM KARDASHIAN’S PARIS ROBBERY IS BEING MADE INTO A MOVIE

The movie, titled, “Fashion Week” will be adapted from a 130-page graphic novel French writer and director Joann Sfarhas written but is yet to published, the producers said on Thursday.

Kim was threatened with a gun, tied up and gagged in the bathroom of a luxury residence in Paris, where she was staying during fashion week in October 2016.

Despite the arrests of mostly well-known French career gangsters, only one piece of jewellery has been recovered. One of the team of five robbers who forced their way into Kardashian’s apartment dropped a diamond-encrusted cross worth 30,000 euros while they were fleeing the scene.

Sfar is one of France’s best known comic and graphic novel authors.

He said that as the graphic novel, the movie would be about “a group of old school crooks who eye up the jewellery of an influential celebrity and find themselves swept up in the whirlwind of the fashion world.”

Sfar admitted it was “liberally based on the raid on Kim Kardashian”.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

NIGERIAN-BORN SALWA EID NASER RUNS THIRD FASTEST TIME IN HISTORY TO WIN 400M WORLD TITLE FOR BAHRAIN

Nigerian born Salwa Eid Naser has made history by running the third fastest time in the world to win the 400m World title for Bahrain.

In what has been described as the biggest upset of the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Salwa Eid Nase defeated the race favourite Shaunae Miller-Uibo with her 48.14 seconds record to win the race.

Miller-Uibo took silver with a time of 48.37sec — the sixth fastest of all time — whilst Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica was third (49.47).

Salwa sealed her spot in history behind East Germany’s world record holder Marita Koch and Jarmila Kratochvilova of former Czechoslovakia who got their spot in the race over 30 years ago.

 

“I’m the first one to win a global medal for Bahrain -? it is really rewarding and I’m so happy,” she said.

“I still can’t believe the time. The time is so crazy, crossing the line and seeing the time I went completely crazy.

“Yes I was training so hard but I never expected to run this fast.”

 

On defeating Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo to win the title, Salwa said;

“I think she (Shaunae) is an amazing athlete,” she said. “I don’t think I would have done that alone of course.

“She’d been there to push me and is very competitive. I love her energy and already said thank you to her because without her I don’t think I would have gone so fast.

“So I’m happy this race happened.”

 

 

Credit: LIB

by
Keep Reading

©2025. WomenofRubies. All Rights Reserved.