womenofrubies - Women of Rubies

In self development January 23, 2018 By Editor

“DO NOT MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS BY THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS” -BETTY IRABOR

Publisher/TV host, Betty Irabor, has taken to her Instagram page to share a deep, inspiring message. She said;

Listen ehn! We all came into this world at different times and with different destinies and for different purposes. Once you understand that then you find inner peace. While it is easy to look at your friends, competitors and colleagues and wonder why they seem to be ahead of you and living the life you crave so badly, remember that our journeys in life are different. Each of us has to walk the path our creator has carved out for us. Never forget that we are all unique! We cannot Rush God and at the same time We cannot Limit His ability to take us places beyond our capabilities. Do not measure your success by the success of others because God’s plan for you could even be Bigger. Focus on your goals, don’t allow yourself to be distracted by what is going on in the lives of others you perceive as “having it all”. Focus on your growth. Sharpen your Saw; a blunt Saw can’t cut a tree. The more you focus on what others are up to instead of focusing on how you can be a better person than you were yesterday, the more you lose focus of what really counts. Don’t let negativity dominate your senses. Take time to celebrate even your bitesize achievements!! Your best is yet to come. Live each day in Abundance and with a grateful heart.

In Interviews&profile January 23, 2018 By Editor

MEET INSPECTOR JOSEPHINE OKEME, NIGERIA’S MOST POPULAR FEMALE WARDEN

Inspector Josephine Okeme is perhaps the most popular cop manning a traffic post in Nigeria. It is very obvious that she is warm and dedicated to her duty as many people have sworn that she takes her job seriously and always has a smile for everyone.

A mother of five, her service point is along Sabo police station, Yaba, Lagoswhere she is attached. Despite some harsh situations of life she has gone through, she daily finds reasons to remain happy and joyful.

To her credit, she has won several awards which includes JCI-Lagos Awa da, Metropolitan-2017 Toppa Award and GTBank Nominate A Champ 2017 award.

Below are some things you probably didn’t know about her which she revealed:

1. She hails from Ukwala, Delta state but was born in Apapa Lagos.

2. Her primary education was in Ladylac primary school and her secondary education in United Christian secondary school both in Apapa.

3. She furthered her education by attending a computer institute.

4. She has been nicknamed Grace Jones because of her hairstyle, tomboyish look and character.

5. She and her husband were childhood friends who grew up, liked each other and got married.

6. The Inspector is blessed with 5 children- 2 girls and 3 boys.

7. She started out as a sportswoman before joining the police force.

8. She has been controlling traffic since 2011.

9. She was enlisted into the police force through sports at National Stadium when MKO Abiola was alive.

10. She won a competition and earned a gold and silver medal after which she was enlisted into the police force.

11. She was hit by a bullion van in September 2017.

12. Inspector Josephine spends 6 hours at work daily.

13. The mother of five lives in Ogun State and goes to her workplace in Yaba daily from there.

Source: Fab Woman

In Interviews&profile January 23, 2018 By Editor

#PROFILE| MEET JESSICA COX, THE FIRST LICENCED ARMLESS PILOT

First licensed armless pilot, Jessica Cox, has the unique ability to fly planes with her legs and she is certified to fly an ERCO 415-C Ercoupe which the Federal Aviation Administration has designated a light sport aircraft.

Read these awesome facts about Jessica Cox.

1. Jessica was born February 2, 1983.

2. She lost her arms as a result of a rare child defect and has not used prosthetic arms since she was 14.

3. Jessica Cox graduated from the University of Arizona in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in communications.

4. Jessica Cox flew in a single engine airplane for the first time via Wright Flight in 2005. Cox earned her pilot’s certificate on October 10, 2008, after three years of training, and is qualified to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet. She received her flight training through an Able Flight scholarship and soloed under the instruction of Parrish Traweek

5. She can drive a car, fly a plane and play piano – all with her feet.

6. In 2012 Jessica married Patrick Chamberlain, her former Taekwondo instructor.

7. In 2014 Cox competed in the 40 mile segment of El Tour de Tucson.

8. In 2015 Cox published an autobiographical self-help book, Disarm Your Limits. in order to inspire people to overcome their own challenges through the lessons she has learned in her life.

9. Jessica Cox, 34, now travels around the world as a motivational speaker, using her life as an example of what one can achieve if one wants it enough.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In Career Gems January 20, 2018 By Editor

HIJAB WEARING MODEL, AMENA KHAN, FEATURES IN L’OREAL’S NEW CAMPAIGN FOR HAIR

The latest achievement by Amena Khan, a mother, model, blogger, Youtuber and co-founder of Ardere Cosmetics highlights major steps being taken in the representation of Muslim women within the beauty industry. The muslim lady has been included in L’Oreal’s new campaign for hair.

Collaborating with a team of British ambassadors and influencers, the new campaign for L’Oréal showcases a diverse cast of men and women in a bid to explore the unique relationship each of us have with our hair.

However, it is L’Oréal’s including Amena Khan who wears a hijab that has amazingly hiked the importance of the campaign and placed it in history.

In an interview which she granted Vogue, she said:

“How many brands are doing things like this? Not many,” Khan said in a powerful interview with Vogue.

“They’re literally putting a girl in a headscarf – whose hair you can’t see – in a hair campaign. Because what they’re really valuing through the campaign is the voices that we have.”

The campaign was shot by Rankin, award wining photographer. Khan dresses her hair in a pink headscarf and uses the same shade on her lips.

Amena also hopes that by starring in the history-making project, there will be a correction about common misconception about Muslim women’s relationship with their hair.

We have her Instagram post below.

Credit: Fab Woman

In Career Gems January 20, 2018 By Editor

NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER SETS TO BECOME THE COUNTRY’S FIRST LEADER TO GIVE BIRTH WHILE IN OFFICE

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is expecting her first baby in June, making her the country’s first leader to give birth while in office.

The 37-year-old, who took office in October, said the pregnancy was “unexpected but exciting”for her and partner Clarke Gayford.

“We’re both really happy. We wanted a family but weren’t sure it would happen for us,” she said in a statement.

The charismatic leader enjoyed a meteoric rise last year, winning office just months after taking the helm of the centre-left Labour Party.

“We thought 2017 was a big year!” she tweeted.

“This year we’ll join the many parents who wear two hats. I’ll be PM and a mum while Clarke will be ‘first man of fishing’ and stay at home dad.”

Ardern said she would take six weeks off after the birth of her child, with maverick Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters taking the reins of office.

She said she would be “contactable and available” during the period and would resume all leadership duties when it was over.

Ardern, who did not reveal whether she was expecting a boy or a girl, said she and Gayford previously had doubts they could conceive.

“Clarke and I have always been clear we wanted to be parents but had been told we would need help for that to happen,” she said.

“That’s made this news a fantastic surprise.”

Ardern’s plans for a family sparked a sexism row during the election when a television host quizzed her on the issue, saying voters had a right to know before they cast their ballots.

She rejected the line of questioning as “unacceptable”, saying pregnancy and child rearing should not hinder women’s opportunities in the workplace.

“It is a woman’s decision about when they choose to have children and it should not predetermine whether or not they are given a job or have job opportunities,” she said.

Late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is believed to have been the first head of government to have given birth while in office, when she had a baby in 1990.

‘More excited than election’

Ardern said “there’s no doubt times have changed” making it possible for her to juggle motherhood and a high-profile political career.

But she played down suggestions she was a trailblazer.

“There are plenty of women who have multi-tasked… in terms of being a woman in politics,” she told reporters.

“There are plenty of women who carved a path incrementally to make it possible for people to look upon my time in leadership and think ‘yes I can do the job and be a mother’.”

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull offered his congratulations on the “wonderful news”.

“When we spoke this morning you sounded more excited than you did when you won the election!” he tweeted.

“Lots of love and best wishes from me and Lucy and all of us across the ditch.”

Ex-New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, Ardern’s mentor early in her career, said her former charge was in for “a super busy year”.

“Every woman should have the choice of combining family & career,” she tweeted.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw said Ardern’s announcement was significant for many women.

“That a woman can be the prime minister of New Zealand and choose to have a family while in office says a lot about the kind of country we are and that we can be -– modern, progressive, inclusive, and equal,” he said.

Source: Pulse News

In Career Gems January 20, 2018 By Editor

LUPITA NYONG’O TO PUBLISH A BOOK TO INSPIRE YOUNG ONES

Oscar winning actor Lupita Nyong’o has announced that she will be publishing a children’s book titled “Sulwe.”

Lupita shared the news on her Instagram, writing that Sulwe is dark skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure.

Sulwe will be published in January 2019. She wrote:

I am pleased to reveal that I have written a children’s book! It’s called “Sulwe”! Sulwe is a dark skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure, and awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty. She encounters lessons that we learn as children and spend our lives unlearning. This is a story for little ones, but no matter the age I hope it serves as an inspiration for everyone to walk with joy in their own skin. Coming January 2019!!

Sulwe, according to New York Times, means star in Lupita’s language Luo.

Sulwe is a story of a 5-year-old girl growing up in Kenya, New York Times wrote, who has the darkest skin color in her family and is looking for a way to lighten her skin.

Sulwe’s search leads her to an adventure, which changes her perception of what beauty is.

Lupita says she hopes the story will inspire young ones to walk with joy in their own skin.

In Interviews&profile January 20, 2018 By Editor

“IN FIVE YEARS I SEE MYSELF SURROUNDED BY MORE FEMALES IN TECH” – SOPHIE OBOMIGHIE, 18YR OLD TECH ENTHUSIAST

18 years old Sophie Obomighie is a student of human anatomy and a budding software developer, Her story went viral on Facebook few weeks back when one of her mentors shed more light on her achievement. She is also the Brand partnership Development Manager for Girl Lead ; an enterprise involved in training girls with the aim of encouraging more girls to venture into tech and entrepreneurship. Sophie also values volunteerism and female education.

In April 2017, her team came second at NASA space apps challenge in Benin, a feat that also brought her into limelight. In her words “I am still growing and still a student so I believe my story is still being written. I believe that at the time of my graduation, I would be invaluable to the biomedical engineering/technology sector. The young tech enthusiast shares her story with me in this exclusive interview.

Growing Up

My childhood prepared me in many ways for what I do now. I am blessed with parents that are innovative, broad-minded and hardworking all of which reflected on the decisions they took on behalf of my sisters and I as regards choice of school and other activities. I grew up with my Mum actively volunteering for the society of Saint Vincent the Paul among other commitments. She is presently the international twinning coordinator for Africa. I’d say I learnt how to volunteer from her. My dad was and still is very involved with my sisters and me. He tries to be as available as possible which has contributed to my increasing self-esteem, self-worth and self-knowledge. The elementary school I attended, Trinity Foundation School and Dominican nursery and primary school, encouraged extra-curricular alongside academic excellence. I was involved in ballet, African Dance, swimming classes etc and still topped my class. My secondary school; Regina Mundi Girls’ Secondary School also contributed in that we were trained in our spiritual, intellectual and social aspects, hence, coming out ready to take the world. I am presently studying human anatomy in the University of Benin and that story is still being written. I also had an early exposure to computers. My dad once got me a laptop in primary 2 as a gift for topping the class. That was my first major exposure to computers outside computer classes in school. My sisters and I always assisted my mum in typing and creating excel sheets on her laptop. It was an exciting experience for us. My mum also enrolled us for computer trainings during the holidays. These and the friends I had and have contributed and are still contributing to what I do now.

The “GirlLead “ Initiative

The Girl LEAD project is a Social enterprise founded by Dr. Enodiana Augustine on November 2016. We are a group of like minded and innovative individuals who are causing groundbreaking change in our environment and the world at large by our actions and words. Our mission is to empower girls of college age (15-24) with entrepreneurial and technological skills to develop their potentials and enable them in their unique capacity to change the world positively. We believe women are nurturers by nature. The major reason why women in our immediate environment do not contribute substantially to technology and solving world problems is because they don’t have the required skills to do that and even when presented with the opportunity to do so, they do not still do much usually because of societal stereotypes they have come to accept especially in places like Edo State my immediate environment where girls travel overseas in search of greener pastures and I’m sure you know the story that follows. We have broken that status quo and are raising university girls to be changemakers by equipping them with the needed skills. We have had 2 sets of bootcamps now and aim to continue training more girls. I am presently the Brand and partnership manager for the GirlLEAD. I am in charge of sourcing for sponsorships and partnerships.

Gathering momentum at 18

I’ll like to say that one of my intention is to make beyond the classroom activities a norm for teenagers and youths in Nigeria. That being said, I am usually driven by different things. I get very excited when I fix bugs while programming. I also enjoy volunteering because I know I learn a lot of things through it, I get to network with people and it makes me very happy. I also treasure self development as I am aware that I can’t give what I don’t have. Long term, volunteering and self development benefits both myself and the people I come across. I am also innovative and usually have a lot of ideas and I am satisfied when I am able to bring those ideas to life. The fact that my actions will inspire others is also a great push. Lastly, stories of people that have done things I want to do also push me to do more.

What and who inspire you?

Different people for different areas of my life. My parents inspire me by their actions and words, my sisters even though still young, inspire me to do more. Many of my friends inspire me too by their actions and words. I have very awesome people as friends. I also inspire myself too. My team coming second at NASA space app challenge in April 2017.

Other Achievements

The NASA Space Apps challenge Benin regionals was a wonderful experience for me. . My team which consisted of Chudi Nwanna, Stephen Alexander Gabriel, Caleb Ikhuohon-Eboreime, Philip Obosi and I with Stephen as team lead coincidentally all students had to really work for the few days we had to complete our project. We built a repository of space terms that would enable a layman contribute substantially to space tech advancement. There is a lesson here. At that time, I did not have as much technical skills as I do now but I didn’t give that as an excuse to not participate. Eventually, I contributed more than I thought I could. Most of the excuses we have in our head don’t hold much water. Sometimes, it’s just us being lazy. We eventually qualified for globals but didn’t go so far due to insufficient votes. My family and friends and those of my team mates did a splendid job in contributing votes. I am grateful for that. The regional organisers also did a great job of bringing it to Benin because many of such events are not usually extended to Benin. Recently, there have been more of such events and startups even having headquarters in Benin. One of such is Mobicure the makers of Omomi maternal care app whom I interned with some time ago. Since I am a biomedical student, I realized the best way to balance the two was integrating it, the reason why I interned with Mobicure. It was another wonderful experience I had.

I was also a student ambassador for a Canadian based Medical tech company called Figure 1. It’s basically an instagram for medical students. A wonderful implementation of technology to the medical field. I was recently on the panel of judges for Aiesec Benin chapter’s slush with mac hackathon.

Greatest Reward
Recently, the GirlLEAD project won an award on Kampus tv. That was an indication to me that we were being noticed and were contributing substantially to our environment. I also recently got access to some very strong networks mainly because my mentor pushed me out to the world. I am happy to be making her and others proud.

Challenges

Epileptic power supply and the terrible internet access is a major problem I have. As a programmer, I usually need these for my work . At the end I still can’t give myself that excuse so I make do with what I have.

For GirlLEAD, we had a problem of convincing girls to participate, a problem I experienced first hand. Many of the girls I approached could not See themselves succeeding in tech careers hence, were uninterested in participating. The girls we have trained so far have served as tech evangelists both by words and actions to other girls.

Projection in five years

In the next 5 years, I see myself surrounded by more females in technology having influenced many of them to pursue tech careers. I also see myself contributing substantially to the software development sector as related to my course of study/area of interest . I have a global mindset and local perspective hence, in 5 years, I would have contributed substantially to my immediate environment making myself world class, hence my country. I would also at that time have concluded my undergraduate studies and started my research work in biomedical engineering which is part of my long term goals.

Do you think women in Tech have been given enough room to soar?

Yes they have. Being a woman in tech ( Using freelancing as a case study), you have more advantage to succeed reason being that you’re a minority, everybody wants you especially when you know your onions. You become invaluable. But there is a problem. Society is wired to prevent us from going far in the tech industry and any other male dominated field. We have to spend time learning how to cook, tidy the house, take care of the home etc. That is normal, it is our duty but the problem comes when girls are told to learn how to bake and boys are told to play video games hence exposing them to technology. It’s stereotypical. Why can’t they both learn the 2 or either of them but not assigning which is for who. You can be a great mum or caterer or fashion designer as a female and still find a way of implementing technology to it. We should understand also that technology is not limited to programming alone. We have graphic deisgners, technical writers, mechanical engineers, etc.

So I’ll say yes Women in Tech have been given enough room to soar because you are the only one who can give yourself permission to succeed amidst all the challenges you face. You owe that to yourself. Your actions should make so much noise that would inspire others to venture into such fields.

Other projects and activities

I am a fellow at WAAW foundation ( Working to advance STEM in African women), Uniben Chapter. It’s one of my volunteering activities. We go to secondary schools to train girls with hands-on engineering skills in energy, robotics, programming etc. I attended a 4 weeks bootcamp organized by WAAW foundation called shehacks Africa. Due to the fact that I facilitate sessions at girllead, I believe it’s important I develop myself as I can’t give what I don’t have. I was also a participant at a summer bootcamp last year called Impact labs. It was organized by students and graduates of MIT and Harvard. We were taught a lot from innovation to design process, arduino programming, rloop ( Elon Musk’s transport system) etc. I personally gained some skills as the group scribe for my team like teamwork, patience, documenting building process, hardwork etc. I am also a member of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental students Uniben Chapter and we usually organize annual rural outreaches. Bottom line, the ability to multi task and survive under pressure have helped me succeed.
I have also worked on a few side projects.

Giving Up

Many times. It’s very rare for ladies in fact youths generally with my kind of background to do things I do hence sometimes, I get negative responses from a few people but I have come to the realization that I am the only one that can give myself the permission to succeed. Managing all I do with my studies has also not been a bed of roses but the higher I go, the more clarity I acquire which eventually helps me in succeeding in my medical science career, programming career and volunteering activities. Having mentors and role models has also been of great help.

I am Awesome, I am a Woman of Rubies

I am a WOR because I am aware of how awesome I am and embrace that awesomeness. I use my influence to bring about positive change in the lives of others. I help others embrace their awesomeness too by means of mentorship and inspiration by my actions and words. I am a WORrior because I handle setbacks with elegance and amplify my strength.

Final word for young women who want to go into Tech
Never be deterred ladies. You have too many opportunitites to facilitate your success hence, you have no excuse. The world is waiting for you to build that app, learn that programming language or work on that website and trust me the world is not very patient. If you don’t do it, someone else will so why not fail and stand up again. You might say you’ve attended trainings and unsure if where to start from. I’d say you should find a problem in your immediate environment and solve it using technology. Do enough research on the best language or skill you need and get to work. You’ll eventually find your footing thereafter. As a programmer, you usually have to start from the top then down meaning you eventually take time to learn the basics or principles of a language having being exposed to it or having worked with it. You don’t necessarily need to be a programmer. You can be a data analyst, graphic designer, technical writing or even be in charge of project management. Go out there and break the ceiling!!!!!.

In self development January 18, 2018 By Editor

FEW FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SANDIE OKORO, THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF WORLD BANK

Appointed as the Senior Vice-President and General Counsel for the World Bank Group in February 2017, Sandie Okoro has made her mark as a Nigerian with goals and on a mission in the world. Sandie Okoro serves as the head of the legal council and and adviser to the World Bank Group.

These are eleven interesting facts about the British-Nigerian trailblazer:

1. Sandie Okoro was born in Fulham, London, in 1964.

2. Her father is a teacher from Nigeria and her mother is a nurse from Trinidad.

3. She studied law and politics at the University of Birmingham, after she studied at the Inns of Court School of Law, now part of City University of London, qualifying as a barrister in 1988.

4. She has worked in global corporations like Baring, serving as the General Council, and also as the head of Global General Counsel at HSBC Global Asset Management.

5. Sandie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law by City University London in 2014 in recognition of her career in business and law, and her voluntary work.

6. She is named in the Powerlist 2015 as the fourth most influential black person in Britain.

7. She was named in the Autumn 2015 edition of Brummell Magazine, as one of the top Inspirational Women in the City who are Champions of Diversity.

8. In July 2016, she was named as one of the 100 Women to Watch by the Female FTSE Board 2016.

9.Sandie was made an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple in the United Kingdom in 2017.

10. She is passionate about gender equality, diversity & inclusion.

11. Sandie Okoro has two children, a son and a daughter.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In Career Gems January 18, 2018 By Editor

SHADE OKOYA REVEALS KEYS TO HER SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

40 year old Shade Okoya was only 21 when she got married to 59 year old business guru, Rasaq Okoya. The couple have been married for 19 years and making a success of it.

Shade, who is the Deputy Managing Director of the Eleganza Industrial City, has revealed some amazing keys to the success of her marriage to the billionaire businessman.

You have been married for 19 years, how does it make you feel that you are in it and still counting?

I give God the glory. Just as children, marriage is not about having a special power. The success of any marriage lies in the fact that I am married to a good man. My marriage success is about God. I am thankful to Him. As you said, it going to be 19 years soon.

What has sustained Dr. Shade Okoya?

My family has sustained me. Most especially my husband. I want him to be happy and the fact that what he has going on in Eleganza is what he lives for. The passion and drive that my husband has for the manufacturing industries in Nigeria. I just love to make my husband happy in all ways.

I love my job. I think God did a total package for me. Loving your job and marriage. I thank my God for that. It is not by my doing. Loving my husband and my job has kept me going.

What is that thing that people don’t know about Dr. Sade Okoya?

Perhaps, many don’t know that despite being fashionable, I am a Laywoman when I get to the factory. When I go out, people see me as a celebrity. They need to see me when I am at the factory. You know, sometimes in life, we don’t get to choose what we want to be.

Though, I am not complaining. I love what I am doing and that alone is fulfilling for me. Some people will ask me, why do you manufacture? Why don’t you do other things that are less stressful? But I tell them, I love what I am doing and it makes my husband happy. This is me and it’s my priority.

What is the secret of a successful woman?

I think for anybody to be successful, one needs to be focused. You have to be determined. Being focused and being an achiever do not mean that you have any special thing you are doing that makes you different from others.

Some people work hard but have nothing to show for it. Why this?

That is why you must appreciate God for his mercy on you. I give God the glory and adoration. I have a good home and my family is a closely knitted one. I have a successful business and a good home. It is not because I was born in a special way. So, we should also learn to appreciate God.

Then humility has also worked for me. If you want to be successful, you must be humble. You must also be very prayerful. Prayer is the key to anything we do in life.

Why do you always kneel down for people despite that you are a wife of a rich man?

You can’t say because your husband is rich and you will now wear it as a badge. My upbringing helps me much. I don’t see any big deal in it. Though, kneeling down is a Yoruba thing, but I am used to it. I also notice that people like me, and I must reciprocate the good gesture that many big wigs see in me. I am not special.

They only like me because they like my husband because he is a good man. It’s not a self appraisal, If I send text in a day, people will fly in here. I am just honoured to be surrounded by wonderful people and they just take me for who I am. I thank God for that.

What has sustained you?

It is God that has brought me this far. It is God, who has sustained me.

We were here one day for an event and we learned you were fasting, do you do that to keep in shape?

No, fasting works for me. I don’t believe in any other thing than fasting and prayer. God is my pillar. Some people think you need to have a Special person to pray for you, but the question is, if that person is capable, he should have done it for himself.

This is what sustained me. I am 19 years in my marriage already, but people think I am just married for 5 years. I will be here Insha Allah till my old age Insha Allah.

Fasting for me is what I use to communicate with God. It may amaze you that I fast Monday to Friday except when I am not forbidden to fast as a lady. It is a normal thing for me. It is the only way I communicate with my God.

Source: fabwoman.ng

In Career Gems January 18, 2018 By Editor

UK APPOINTS TRACEY CROUCH AS MINISTER FOR LONELINESS

Britain appointed a “minister for loneliness” on Wednesday to tackle what Prime Minister Theresa May described as “the sad reality of modern life” affecting millions of people.

Tracey Crouch, a junior minister for sport and civil society, will take on the role as part of a broader strategy to combat loneliness in Britain.

“For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life,” May said.

“I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones — people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with,” the prime minister added.

More than nine million people say they are always or often lonely, out of a population of 65.6 million, according to the British Red Cross.

The charity describes loneliness and isolation as a “hidden epidemic” affecting people across all ages at various moments in their life, such as retirement, bereavement or separation.

The ministerial appointment follows a recommendation from a committee in memory of Jo Cox, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour party who was murdered by a far-right extremist.

“Jo experienced and witnessed loneliness throughout her life especially as a new student at Cambridge University and separated from her sister Kim for (the) first time,” the Jo Cox Foundation wrote on Twitter.

“She would be delighted by Tracey Crouch’s new job as minister for loneliness and would be saying ‘let’s get to work!'” the Foundation added.

The prime minister was to host a reception on Wednesday to celebrate the legacy left by Cox, whose killing just days ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum shocked the nation.

Britain’s loneliness initiative will see a strategy published later this year, with input from national and local government, public services, the voluntary sector and businesses.