The Chairman Editorial Board Penpushing Media, owner on online newspaper and television, Deaconess Olufunke Fadugba has stated that integrity is the backbone of a real woman who is not swayed by peer pressure or outside influence.
Penpushing reports that Fadugba made this known while delivering a lecture titled, titled “Women Beyond Borders: Unleashing Potential, Transforming Lives” at the 6th Annual Badagry Women Symposium held on December 19,2024.
The Veteran journalist and two-time chairperson Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, on the topic explained that border as an allegory has both literal and deeper meanings, which could mean deep-seated societal barriers, a self-imposed barrier or limitation.
Penpushing further reports that she pointed out that border can manifest in the form of cultural limitation, lack of mentorship opportunities, and lack of educational and skilled training, just as she acknowledged the vision of the people who were pregnant with this idea, who gave birth to it and nurtured it along with others up until today.
‘This is what we call an enduring legacy. A woman is a special species; I mean a purpose-built creature. A woman is extremely fond of or devoted to something specific. A woman grows up to be confident except those who have been abused one way or the other. A real woman holds fast to her beliefs and values, no matter the situation’, she added.
Penpushing also reports that the educationist noted that there is equally the limiting influences of drugs on the achievement and orientation of women, noting that another border- like barrier is the insidious impact of social media imitation that could limit the possibility of unleashing our potential.
The guest speaker at the well-attended programme explained that women have inbuilt and acquired potential that can positively impact society, adding that these range from potential to do business in the economy, ability to impact and excel in human resource capabilities, as well as organisational competence.
‘In essence, women have the potential to multi task and excel in all endeavours they are extremely fond of or devoted to. This gathering is meant to awaken our sleeping or dormant ability to break down the identified borders, which had continued to inhibit us from maximising our abilities and impacting on lives’, Fadugba stated
Penpushing reports that Fadugba stated that for women to unleash God-given potential and the ones they have acquired, required deliberate attempts from the individuals, the family, community, and the government. 
‘We must be our own woman that is to unleash our potential. We must free ourselves from restriction (either self-imposed, family restriction, social prejudice, and environmental restriction. Free from control or dictatorial influence’
‘To unleash our potential, we must be mentally strong, not about being popular, not about earning fat salaries or incomes but having character with self-confidence, productive, caring, a go- getter, a fear-tackler and true to one’s self’, she emphasied.
Penpushing further reports that Fadugba, said government and stakeholders must be deliberate in helping to bring down some of these borders through inclusion and diversity initiatives, and need to dismantle systemic barriers against women.
‘Let me conclude by urging us to reflect on the saying that success without a successor is failure, we need to sustain the trend, by making deliberate and intentional efforts to assist the next generation of women in recognizing the need to break barriers, unleash potential and transform lives’.
‘We can achieve this in alliance with the menfolk, by getting the policy makers committed to building the needed structures to enable the women to get education and empowerment, enjoy equal opportunities in all fields and have access to enduring mentorship and support to overcome gender-based biases and stereotypes that limit women’s potential’.
‘We must also ensure safe, inclusive spaces that allow women to thrive and feel valued and promote women’s entrepreneurship and financial independence through grants and loans, while also encouraging the development of women’s leadership skills to increase their representation in decision-making positions’.
‘As woman, look for what is needed in your community that you can be providing to earn a living. Don’t be too choosy beyond your capacity. Make yourself relevant and useful to yourself. There is the need to attach more importance to women’s caregiving responsibilities, a lot of people tend to underestimate the economic value of unpaid care work, which typically include activities such as childcare, eldercare, household chores, and other forms of domestic labor, it is often assumed that because it does not attract payment, unpaid care doesn’t contribute to the economy’.
‘However, if the same services were to be outsourced or paid for, it would represent a significant portion of GDP in many countries. Therefore, those burdened with these kinds of responsibilities also deserved to be recognized and supported adequately’, Fadugba emphasised.
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