Women of Rubies
Category

womenofrubies

Category
In Career Gems By

NIGERIAN MILITARY PUTS A STOP TO ADMISSION OF WOMEN INTO THE NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY (NDA)

In a move that is designated to set Nigeria back at least a couple of decades, the Nigerian military wants to end the admission of female cadets into the combatant course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). In 2010, President, Goodluck Jonathan ordered the military to allow females interested in becoming combatant officers of the Nigerian armed forces to be admitted into the NDA for the first time ever. In 2011, a set of 20 women, nicknamed ‘Jonathan Queens’, were first admitted into the course.

First Female Cadets (aka Jonathan’s Queens) at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) (Photo: Sahara Reporters)

Ironically or unironically (depends on how you see it), the recommendation to end the programme was made by the Armed Forces Council inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, just last week. The council also revised the National Defence Policy: Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers last week, and the changes were ratified by president Buhari, to include one new clause: Phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets.

There are many types of commissions in the Nigerian Armed Forces: Regular Combatant Commission, Short Service Combatant Commission, Direct Regular Commission, Direct Short Service and Executive Commission. According to a correspondent for Punch Nigeria, a serving general in the Nigerian Army said that the military allegedly took the decision due to complaints from some unnamed northern Muslim leaders:

“It is only the Regular Combatant Commission that can give an officer the opportunity to aspire to head any of the services or rise to become the Chief of Defence Staff, while the others have limited career path. If the military is able to scrap this programme, women will never be able to head any of the arms of the Nigerian military.

The northern Muslim leaders want to prevent a situation where one day, a woman will lead the army and give orders to men.”

(Photo: PunchNG)

In 2013, of the first 20 female cadets, only one Muslim woman, Fatimah Saleh, enlisted. She had also stated that her “Arabic school teacher” had advised her against joining the army. The general said those pushing for the scrapping of the programme had convinced the president that women were not doing well in the programme. Because, what else can men do if they’re not oppressing women?

“When we started the training of female cadets in 2011, we never thought it would be successful. When the first set of women cadets graduated from the academy last year, women won three awards, including the best award in the navy category.

A female cadet, C. Lord-Mallam, won the Navy Gold award which is the highest in the navy category. The Army Silver award, which is the second highest in the army, went to a female cadet, K. O Dayo-Karim. The Air Force Silver award was also won by a female cadet, O. S Ijelu.

However, some northern conservatives were not happy about it because most of the female cadets are either Christians from the South and northern minority groups or Muslims from the South and Middle Belt. Dissatisfied with how things are turning out, the northern Muslim leaders lobbied the military authorities to stop the programme for women.”

Basically, this move is being made because some fragile men are quaking in their shoes about the success of women. The female cadets are outperforming their male colleagues, but the military hierarchy would rather suppress their achievements. These men are so sexist that they’re willing to overlook the general quality, superiority and ability of the women in the military to make sure women don’t get a chance to lead.

Two of these same female cadets even beat their male counterparts to win placement at the United States Military Academy in West Point and they are doing well. Presently, we have female armoured tank drivers, female para-troopers, jumpers, and so on. According to the general said, the women were trained just like the men were trained. They were not given any preferential treatment.

But looks like it will be a while before the Nigerian armed forces is without discrimination. They will allow women join the army, but on men’s terms: limiting women to non-combat duties, thereby limiting their career path regardless of their competence or skill. Masculinity so fragile…

 

Credit: konbini.com

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

LUPITA NYONG’O GETS FORMAL APOLOGY FROM PHOTOGRAPHER WHO EDITED OUT HER NATURAL HAIR

An Le, the photographer responsible for cropping out Lupita Nyong’o’s natural hair on the cover of Grazia, has apologised to Nyong’o and “everyone else that I did offend.”

In a statement released to HuffPost UK, Le began by admitting his part in the controversy.

“I’ve had some time to reflect on my part in the incident involving Grazia and Ms. Nyong’o” he stated.

 “I realise now what an incredibly monumental mistake I have made and I would like to take this time to apologise to Ms Nyong’o and everyone else that I did offend.

“Though it was not my intention to hurt anyone, I can see now that altering the image of her hair was an unbelievably damaging and hurtful act.”

Nyong’o had spoken out against erasing the uniqueness of women of color and was not exactly pleased with Le’s take on her – or Grazia for allowing it to go to print.

In an Instagram statement, she wrote:

“Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfils me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are.

“I am disappointed that Grazia UK invited me to be on their cover and then edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like.”

 

The post garnered over 260,000 ‘likes’ in three days, indicating that Nyong’o’s honesty was needed and welcome.

The Vietnamese-born photographer seems to hold himself accountable.

“As an immigrant myself, it is my duty to be an advocate for the representation of diversity of beauty in this industry,” said Le.

“I will demonstrate this in my work even more going forward.”

The statement continued:

My altering of her image was not born out of any hate but instead out of my own ignorance and insensitivity to the constant slighting of women of color throughout the different media platforms. There is no excuse for my actions. I deeply regret the pain I’ve caused Ms. Nyong’o, a woman I’ve admired for quite some time now.

To many, this one action speaks volumes about the restrictive standard there still exists regarding beauty in 2017.

Le concluded his apology with a line that addresses the gravity of the situation.

“Again, I would like to say I’m deeply sorry to everyone I did offend,” he said.

“I want to thank Lupita for addressing this important issue.”

The editorial team at Grazia has also issued an apology.

“Grazia is committed to representing diversity throughout its pages and apologises unreservedly to Lupita Nyong’o,′ the statement read.

“Grazia magazine would like to make it clear that at no point did they make any editorial request to the photographer for Lupita Nyong’o’s hair to be altered on this week’s cover, nor did we alter it ourselves.

“But we apologise unreservedly for not upholding the highest of editorial standards in ensuring that we were aware of all alterations that had been made.”

 

Culled from HuffingtonPost

by
Keep Reading
In Chi By

CHIDINMA CHUKWUMA: PHENOMENAL BLACK WOMAN

Phenomenal black woman
Phenomenal black woman
Your walk is the definition of elegance
And oh your sway beautiful but exuding so much strength
Your smile always accommodating and loving never showing the hurt you have been through

Phenomenal black woman
You kill yourself so your children don’t have to
And bear the pain so they are always happy
Your arms are always comforting and your lips never complaining

Phenomenal black woman your sacrifices are not in vain
And your daughters have risen to take up your cause
They call us angry, opinionated, sassy, troublemakers
But we watched you suffer in silence for so long
So every time we stand up for ourselves
We wipe away your silent tears
And with every success of ours
A fruit is harvested for your days of endless toiling
Phenomenal black woman we are forever grateful for you

 

By Chidinma Chukwuma


To see more of my work check out chidinmachukwuma.wordpreess.com

 

 

featured image credit: Joanna Choumali

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE “WOMAN OF ALL TRADE”, POWEDE LAWRENCE

Powede Lawrence is a Nigerian model, nurse and pilot who has proved to the world at large that she was more than just a queen but one with a difference. In a world where most people believe that a beautiful woman cannot achieve anything meaningful, this 26year old young lady has stunned the world.

She is not only a go getter, she is ambitious, beautiful and sophisticated  at that and we totally love her.

Fabwoman.ng has compiled list of 5 things everybody can learn from Powede.

1. It is possible to be beautiful but still have brains

Yes, Powede is  a beauty queen but her beauty goees beyond the physical. Hers is different- her mind is beautiful  and full of wondrous ideas. She shocked the world when she enrolled  to train as a pilot and got certified but this shows that she has got a brain on her. Worthy of note also is the fact that she is a registered nurse.

2. If given a platform, help others

Fashion icon Powede, uses her platform, “Powede Lawrence Foundation” to help the less privileged, her charity renovates school for the physically challenged students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, and also offers scholarship to all the physically challenged students at her university annually. Once you have a means of assisting one or two people, do it!

3. Be determined

This beautiful lady is a testimony to what anyone can achieve if one has a strong determination. For her to have done so well with modelling and her career, it goes to show that she is a very hard working lady and determined to see her dreams come through.

Of course, there will be days you feel like quitting but in the end, you will have a whole lot of cause to smile.

 

4. Believe that you can have it all

Yes, the belief is what it takes for you to actualize your dreams. She believed in herself and see all what she has accomplished today. It does not matter if not everyone is cheering you, what matters is you persisting in chasing your dreams.

5. Do not live your life to please others

From everything about Powede, it is very obvious that she is not out to please anyone. She lives her life, constantly braking bounds and achieving. We are sure if she had listened to every advice or ill comments, she might not be where she is today.

Always remember to be YOU, self love is key and the moment you have that, you have almost all you need.

 

credit: fabwoman.ng

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

READ EXCERPTS FROM YVONNE NELSON’S INTERVIEW AND PHOTO SESSION WITH WOW MAGAZINE

Following months of speculation surrounding her pregnancy, Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson who welcomed her daughter on October 29th, 2017 in Ghana has finally released her pregnancy photos.

The beautiful actress who didn’t say anything amidst pregnancy rumors and delivery took to her page to share photos as she  turned a year older today, November 12.

She wrote on Instagram:

WOW! ITS MY BIRTHDAY 🎂🎊🎂 The BEST year of my life!
The best birthday GIFT ever!
Looking for a miracle?? Just look around you….it’s there. He’s present in everything

This is coming after it was reported that Yvonne Nelson got married to a secret lover, which she denied.

For her pregnancy photoshoot, Yvonne posed for WOW Magazine, and spoke about having a child out of wedlock, how her mother felt about the news, and what she feels about marriage in general.

Asked about how her mother felt about the pregnancy, she said:

“My mum, she used to be so big on marriage, she was very traditional: marriage then baby. Until I got pregnant. It’s like everything changed.

I guess your priority obviously changes to something else. She is now concerned about the baby. She doesn’t pressure me anymore with marriage. You know, it’s not like I am engaged or married or anything. It’s just that when it happens, it happens. As a woman, you cannot marry yourself.”

Asked if she thinks she is not the typical traditional girl, she said:

“I believe if I say that people might say I am not setting a good example, but I think society is just too hard on most of us. It is good to get married. It is the right thing to do.

But then again if you are a woman and you think you are getting to a certain age and you want to have kids and you meet a responsible guy who hasn’t yet proposed but wants to do the same thing, it depends on you and him.

You can go ahead and do it if you think the guy is right and responsible and he makes you happy. Why not? Marriage nowadays is just ceremony and a huge wedding.

The whole marriage thing, that name is just so scary.”

Here are the photos:

 

 

Credit: stargist.com

 

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

“MALE DJ’S TREAT ME BADLY JUST BECAUSE I’M A WOMAN” – DJ LAMBO

 MI Abaga’s personal DJ; Olawunmi Okerayi, popularly called DJ Lambo, coming into the music industry came with alot of challenges. 

In an interview with  Moet Abebe of Soundcity TV  Lambo explains how she almost gave up when she just started as a result of the rejections she got.

However, with time, she made her mark and proved that she was there to stay.

DJ Lambo explained that her acceptance and recognition in the field wasn’t by mere chance. She said she was treated badly by some male DJs because she was female.

According to her ;

“I had people around me who support me and encourage me to do better but not everyone is going to treat me like that. I’ve had guys in this industry, other male DJs, treat me terribly, treat me like I didn’t know what I was doing just because I am a female. But most importantly, it has to be your spirit, you have to be so strong.”

Irrespective of this, DJ Lambo says she keeps moving and still breaks boundaries as a female DJ.

“It’s not being easy but I don’t take No for an answer. I call myself a shark. That’s what I am. I keep moving. I’m just going to keep moving ruthlessly forward.”

In 2015, she was listed on ‘top 5 Nigerian DJ’s to watch out for’ by the  Nigerian Entertainment Today newspaper.

In 2016, she won “DJ of the Year (Female)” at the 2016 City People Entertainment Awards.

In 2017, DJ Lambo was among the few DJs selected to play at Big Brother Nigeria Saturday’s party at season 2 of the Big Brother Naija reality game show.

On 14 June 2017, she was announced as the head and president of Choc Boi Nation (CBN), an imprint under Chocolate City Music, a Nigerian record label  regarded the biggest and most successful indigenous urban record labels in Africa.

The announcement made her one of the major and female record label executives in the music industry in Nigeria, a role she describes as a “huge responsibility. It’s like I have kids now. Its scary and exciting at the same time.”

DJ Lambo says she’s working on a project to empower girls and make them believe that they can achieve whatever their dreams are.

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

SISTERHOOD GLOBAL TO TACKLE WOMEN PLIGHT

A social media platform for women across the continents named, Sisterhood Global, has been launched. The platform is aimed at tackling global problems associated with women through effective use of the media.

Its universal approach to solving the plights of women in the world has continued to receive positive responses globally.

At a media briefing the visioner and founder of the group, Nonnie Roberson, explained that the group had kick-started the global project three months ago under the name Sisterhood Africa, but had to rebrand after it had gathered over three million active members and facebook decided to shut the page down.

She said no explanation was given by facebook for doing so, but expressed optimism that the group will continually rise above gender issues by progressively rebranding and refocusing their targets.

She said: “Having tested the popularity of the group, it decided to expand its scope from Africa in order to accommodate more women globally, hence the new name – Sisterhood Global.”

Expressing her joy over the responses so far, Roberson said, “about three months ago, it was impressed in my heart to set up a platform, where women can come together, pray together, love each other, receive counsels, express how they feel inside, encourage each other and get solutions to their problems with abounding testimonies.”

She continued, “within a short while, it grew to over three million active members, but for reasons best known to Facebook, and without any prior notice, the group was taken down. Indeed, Sisterhood Africa, now Sisterhood Global was a house of solutions and testimonies. It was a place of solace for many women in Africa, and round the world, great testimonies were also shared.”

Giving assurance on the unyielding zeal of the group, Roberson said, “going forward, with full assurance that this move of God cannot be stopped, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church of God, we have launched Sisterhood Global. This is going to be the first time that women of faith would be building their own social network.”

Source: Guardian

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

SEYE AINA BECOMES  FIRST FEMALE CHAIRMAN OF BRITISH NIGERIA LAW FORUM

 On June5, 2017, Seye Aina became the first woman to be appointed chair of the British Nigeria Law Forum since its inception in 2001.

BNLF was set up following the ‘African Law Week’ Conference, organised by the British Council in Nigeria. Prof Oba Nsugbe QC, SAN is one of the founding members and past chair of BNLF. The organisation based in London, is now recognised as an influential professional membership organisation for British and Nigerian legal professionals.

Seye is dual qualified, called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985 and also admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales in 1994. She has senior management/legal experience in local government with expertise in professional regulation and investigating fitness to practise in the Healthcare professions. Her public appointments include an Independent Member of the Professional Conduct Committee of the UK Council of Psychotherapy and also an Independent Member of the Standards Committee of the Greater London Authority. Seye is the founder of Paceworking, a professional network organizing business events. She has also used this platform to support charities such as the Down Syndrome.

Foundation, Nigeria and has organised several events for International Women’s Day. She is also the organising partner of the Nigeria Development and Finance Forum Conferences which are held in the UK, Nigeria and the USA.

Seye is extremely honoured to be elected as the new chair of BNLF, she is a longstanding member of BNLF and served as an executive committee member from 2008 – 2014. During that period the committee organised several events and training programmes in London, Abuja and Lagos. This included a courtesy visit to the then Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN and BNLF also hosted a dinner at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

She is already in contact with the President of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr A.B Mahmood, SAN who congratulated her on her new appointment. BNLF has been working with a committee of the NBA headed by Chief Idigbe, SAN working on proposals for reforms in the legal profession in Nigeria. In addition to this BNLF committee members were also at the NBA’s Section on Business Law Conference, ‘Law and changing the face of legal practice’. Seye will continue the tradition of working closely with stakeholders in the UK, Nigeria and Africa. As part of a new initiative to set up specialist working groups and a skills database, BNLF is conducting a survey of members. The new chair has also been active with other BME law organisations responding to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in London. Seye has a great record of community engagement and working with professionals.

During her tenure she seeks to work hard to enhance the reputation of BNLF, encourage experienced lawyers to share good practise and
knowledge and to improve the opportunities for all members especially women, students and young lawyers.

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

NIKE BECOMES FIRST MAJOR BRAND TO LAUNCH HIJAB FOR WOMEN 

 Nike’s new hijab is designed to make sport more comfortable for Muslim women and goes on sale in 2018.

The light fabric has tiny holes for breathability and the length has also been designed to stop it coming untucked during activity.

Nike said it had been developing the new sporting hijab for a year.

Sporting hijabs have been around for several years, but Nike is the first major international company to embrace the sports needs of Muslim women.

Small sporting brands such as Capsters and ResportOn have previously been seen as leading brands of sporting hijabs.

by
Keep Reading