March is National Women's History month and International Women's day

You may know this by now - March is women's history month and the month is celebrated the world over.

Mrs Funmilayo Ransome Kuti

 In Italy, the men give the women flowers. In the U.S this week, the international conference on women is being held. Women leaders are being lauded in the corridors of power and ten women received the International Women of Courage awards from Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama this week on Thursday. Two of these went to African women, Hana Elhebshi, architect and political activist (Libya) and Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih, human rights activist (Sudan).

You will hear a lot this month about how far women have come in this part of the world and how far women still have to go in other parts of the world like in Africa and Asia. That is a discussion for another place and time.

Madam Tinubu

 For here and now, may I congratulate all the international ladies of our great association for representing us so elegantly here outside of our motherland. You are behind every successful husband and father in the greatest supporting role of all times. You are there supporting our children through the most formative years of their lives. You put your best (well heeled) feet forward at all times.

 What a story we all could tell about how and why we crossed the international date line to get where we are today. Whatever your story or mine is, well done, to even get here and to have achieved as much as you have. And e Kaabo, e ku irin ajo naa.

We have a lot of Yoruba women's history to be proud of,  tales of pioneer trail blazing Yoruba women that set the stage before us - Lady Oyinkan Abayomi, founder of the Nigerian Women's Party and founder of the girl's guide organization in Nigeria, Mrs Funmilayo Ransom Kuti - the first woman to organize for women's civil rights in the Abeokuta area and to ride a bike and drive a car in Nigeria, Madam Efunroye Tinubu, a wealthy and influential business woman of the mid 19th century who eventually fought the British Colonial governments slavery policy, Lady Kofo Ademola, the first Nigerian woman to receive a university degree (Oxford), and Prof. Bolanle Awe to name just a few.

We are in good company.

Prof Bolanle Awe

So, even though none of us great Yodaai women are up there receiving International awards this month, as the yoruba would say, "b'eni kan o ki mi, n o ki ara mi." A ku ise, asi ku iroju.

Now about those flowers...


Funke Abolade, M.D


Social /Publicity Secretary.