NSITF charges women to participate in politics

The Executive Director, Operations, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mrs. Kemi Nelson, has charged women in politics to pay attention to their aspirations and resist distractions and remain focused until they achieve their aims.

Nelson gave this charge in Lagos recently, at the launch of Politics and Governance sector of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW).

While commending the Executive Council and members of NNEW for embracing politics and soaring high in their various fields of endeavour, she reiterated that women must not shy away from challenges presented by political intrigues.

She was quick to acknowledge that there will be disappointments but encouraged them to look beyond the disappointments and look up to their aim to reach their goals.

She added: “In politics, there are ups and downs and of course the dark side of it that has the capacity to discourage us as women, but we must soar above those challenges and obstacles and use them as stepping stones to reach our goals. We must not be distracted by what we see, but continue to push on and on until we achieve our aim. Power is not given but taken. As women, we must participate actively in politics and not wait to be given positions as if we did not deserve it. We must work very hard to earn whatever position we occupy.”

Mrs Nelson commended the NNEW women for ensuring that they pulled themselves up, helping to develop entrepreneurial skills of women who have ventured into business by themselves, and urged them to encourage more women who want to venture into politics now that the organisation has a politics desk.

“I must commend the enthusiasm of these very dedicated women for all you are doing to encourage fellow women to do well in business. I am even happier now that a politics desk has been added to what you are doing. Record shows that you are succeeding in encouraging women to do well in business, which gives me further assurance that such feat will be replicated in politics,” she stated.

Earlier in her remark, President, NNEW, Mrs Modupe Oyekunle, had explained that the association’s mission is to empower women to embrace entrepreneurship and achieve wellbeing while impacting others.

She decried that many times, women are hindered from aspiring for positions of leadership or establishing their own business because of limitations that the economy set against them, and urged NNEW to overcome these limitations.
The launch of the Politics and Governance Sector of NNEW was the highlight of the 6th annual summit of the association, themed, which ‘Power up: No limitations’.