Seven Wonder Woman Awards: And the winners are…
The winners of the Guardian Women Festival Seven Wonder Women Awards were announced last weekend at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Seven Wonder Women Awards aim to highlight the efforts of women who stand out in a variety of fields and promote inclusion. These women have been long-standing professionals in their fields, recipients of national honors, women who have achieved record-breaking feats, women who have survived adverse conditions, and women who have championed women's rights in the face of adversity. , and his achievements were recognized.
After nearly two months and more than 150 candidates, the shortlist has been narrowed down to 29 finalists after more than 8,000 votes. These finalists were judged by her team of 12 judges to determine the final winners in each science, technology, engineering, and management (STEM) category. physical activity and sports. Beauty, fashion and wellness. Social Impact; Media, Arts, and Entertainment.Innovative
Oladiura
Entrepreneurship and Career.Leadership and Public Service Department
Honored in the STEM category was Oladiwura Oladepo, executive director and co-founder of the Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev). Tech4Dev is a non-profit company that creates access to decent work and entrepreneurship opportunities and platforms for Africans through digital skills empowerment and advocacy.
Oladepo’s passion for gender equality, improved economic outcomes, and financial independence led her to advocate for more women in STEM fields. This push led to the birth of the Women Techsters Initiative. The program has grown to become Africa's largest tuition-free program for women engineers. Its aim is to close the digital technology knowledge gap between men and women in low-income communities in Africa. It's about giving women equal access to better opportunities.
tobi amsan
Famous Nigerian track and field athlete Tobi Amusan won in the Healthcare, Physical Activity and Sports category. Amsan specializes in the 100m hurdles and also competes as a sprinter. She is the current world record holder for the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.12 seconds, which she set in the 2022 Women's 100m Hurdles semifinals in Eugene, Oregon.
She is the current Commonwealth and African 100m hurdles champion and record holder in these two events. Amusan set the current world record of 12.12 seconds (+0.9m/s) in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles at the 2022 World Championships, winning the gold medal and becoming the first Nigerian track and field world champion and world record holder. Ta. She won by 12.06 seconds (+2.5m/s) in the final.
Tara Fela-Durotoy
Tara Fela Durotoy was a standout in the beauty, wellness and fashion category. The beauty entrepreneur and lawyer is a pioneer in the bridal makeup industry in Nigeria. She launched her first bridal directory in 1999, established an international standard make-up studio and established Nigeria's first make-up school. She is the founder and CEO of her House of Tara International and the founder of the Tara Orekelewa Beauty series, Inspired Perfume and HIP Beauty series. As of 2019, her brand House of Tara has 270 products, 23 stores, 14 beauty schools, and 10,000 representatives across Africa.
Kioma Ohakwe
The Social Impact winner, Chioma Ohakwe, is the founder of Bethesda Home for the Blind, based in Lagos, Nigeria. This nonprofit organization provides education and care primarily to the blind and visually impaired. She trained as a fashion designer and later she founded the Bethesda Home for the Visually Impaired, which has positively impacted the lives of many people living with visual impairment in Nigeria. It helped many people get educated. The organization sponsors students taking the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC) and Unified Tertiary Education (UTM) examinations. Through her organization, Ohakwe has helped former students find jobs after graduation.
Funke Akindele
In the Media, Arts and Entertainment category, the award went to outstanding actress and director Funke Akindele. She Akindele is the most nominated actress/director in her AMVCA, and she is currently the actress with the most wins, with six wins. She is the second director to cross the 1 billion naira mark at the Nigerian box office and is currently the highest grossing Nigerian director at the Nigerian box office, with a total box office collection of over ₦2.9 billion. She was the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Lagos State gubernatorial candidate, Abdulaziz Olajide Adiran, in the 2023 general elections.
Dupe Orsola
The winner in the Innovative Entrepreneurship and Careers category was Dupe Olusola, CEO of Transcorp Hotels. Mr. Olusola, a corporate executive, is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Trancorp Hotels plc, a hospitality company based in Nigeria. Trancorp Hotels plc is a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, a Nigerian conglomerate. In March 2020, she was appointed by board members to lead Transcorp Hotels, becoming the second woman in history to lead the organization.
Titiola Vivour Adeniyi
Standing tall in the leadership and public service sector is the Executive Director of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mr. Titiola Vivour Adeniyi. She has been in the civil service for about 15 years and has served the Lagos State Government in various capacities. Her experience spans public policy and administration, as well as legal expertise and social services (social welfare and social protection). She has been instrumental in ensuring a proactive and coordinated response to sexual and gender-based violence in Lagos State.
She is the author of children's books on domestic violence, civics education, sexual violence, and self-love/body safety. In December 2022, she published her memoir titled “Living for a Higher Purpose and Inspiring Hope Through Public Service in Nigeria.”
Source: guardian.ng