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Running in Heels gingers working women to thrive amongst male counterparts

By Maria Diamond
10 March 2018   |   4:36 am
Gone are the days when women crawl behind walking men, now, it is an era where women not only walk with heels, but also run in heels with the innate advantage of multitasking with excellence...

Eme Lore;Country Manager For the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Nigeria office left, Simbo Ukiri; DBA (Social Impact) candidate, Bola Atta; Best Marketing Professional in West Africa, and Francesca Uriri during the plenary sessions

Gone are the days when women crawl behind walking men, now, it is an era where women not only walk with heels, but also run in heels with the innate advantage of multitasking with excellence, leaving the male counterparts reasons to wonder if they are still the stronger vessel.

This was why Francesca Uriri, Founder of Leading Ladies Africa (LLA) and Glory Edozien, Founder of 9to5Chick, recently “platformed” a one-day career development conference titled Running in Heels, for working women to learn and balance the art of excellent execution and epic result delivery under the pressure of diverse workload whilst empowering them to take the lead in breaking barriers in the workplace.

In her opening remark Edozien said everything she’s done in her life was as a result of making bold moves, hence the ideology to empower women to make bold moves and freeze the traditional belief that relegates women to hidden places and positions.

The conference which took place at Four Points by Sheraton in Lagos, was sectioned in six plenaries, showcasing diverse professionals and successful career women from all works of life who presented available possibility mediums for working women to break records and rate excellence in their chosen career and work field.

Speaking at the event, Bola Atta, CEO of UBA Foundation and Best Professional in West Africa (2017) said, the secret to an eventual successful career is to set medium and long term goals for your life, starting from where you are at the moment, as there is no such thing as luck.

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. We’re different and each person has to find out what works for them.
The more different experiences we have, the more robust our knowledge” she said.

Eme Lore, Country Manager for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Nigeria office, who said women limit themselves at work places around the male folks because they think they are women and as such shouldn’t attempt reaching for the skies.

“I am only a woman when I am at home as a wife and a mother, but at work, I compete with my male contemporaries, and over years I have attained levels and positions as high as any man would.

“Women should not think about their gender but about their agenda.

“Don’t ever feel inhibited or limited. The call is not for women to be reckless but bold, as it is important to build and nurture relationships at workplace, so that when you take a leap, you don’t fall on the ground” she said.

Simbo Ukiri DBA (Social Impact) candidate said, it is okay for women to be afraid of competing and ranking equals with the male contemporaries at first, but it is important to rise above the not-good-enough fear labels and build your confidence. This, she said, is why she advises women to find the kind of industry that allows them to be their natural self.

“When I gained admission to study abroad on professional levels, at first I didn’t think I could excel amongst my classmates whom were all great men from all walks of life.

“I felt timid and not good enough, so I gave excuses as to why they should not expect too much of excellence from me because I am a mother and a wife.

“But eventually, I came to terms with my ability to do great despite the visible distractions, and overcame my fear.

“All the experiences are a stepping stones to the things you want to accomplish in your life.

“By the time you build your confidence from the place of anxiety, you soar higher and become unshakable” she said.

Aside Uriri who anchored the first plenary were also Foluso Gbadamosi, Khadijah Abu, Ivie Ogbonmwan, Glory Edozien and Kehinde Banasko who anchored other sections and presented men and women whom are professionals in their work field to teach working women diverse skills to get ahead and thrive instead of griping in a corner.

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