International Women’s Day is a global event dedicated to women’s accomplishments and leadership. It is officially recognized by the United Nations as “a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.” This year's International Women’s Day fell on March 8. Please join Olamild Entertainment this week as we celebrate phenomenal African women making positive impact around the world.
Esther Ijewere – Kalejaiye is an enterprising social activist, youth advocate, Wife, Mother of two, Author and the executive director of Rubies Ink Initiative - A social enterprise outfit devoted to youth advocacy, public relations, social enterprise solutions amongst others.
Esther Ijewere – Kalejaiye is an enterprising social activist, youth advocate, Wife, Mother of two, Author and the executive director of Rubies Ink Initiative - A social enterprise outfit devoted to youth advocacy, public relations, social enterprise solutions amongst others.
An Olabisi Onabanjo University trained Sociologist. As a social advocate, she is the brain behind W.A.R-Walk Against Rape, an advocacy initiative created to lend a voice for the victims of rape and demand justice for the perpetrator's, an initiative endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry Of Women Affairs. Esther is also the initiator of Project Capable ,a youth mentoring initiative geared towards creating a can do mentality in the lives of secondary school students, which comes up annually,using celebs and accomplished individuals to inspire and motivate youngsters to rise to greatness.
Being an emerging young leader, Esther is the youngest recipient of The Idea Builders Women Mentoring Women Award, winning Mentee of the year 2010. She also won the award for “Best Use Of Advocacy” from her Alma Mata; Olabisi Onabanjo University in 2012 , for her contribution in fighting and creating awareness on Rape. She is a Fellow with Vital Voices Global Leadership USA; an organization founded by Hillary Clinton and aimed at empowering young women change makers all over the world. She has toured several secondary schools, serving them counsel and sharing with them messages of hope for a greater life. One of her major interest is advocacy and counseling on issues surrounding women, child sexual abuse, family values, and youth empowerment.
Taking the walk to another level, she unveiled her first book on rape and violence against women, titled Breaking the Silence. The book which is a guide to enlightening young women on knowledge needed to survive sexual situations, also enunciated that every woman was prone to being sexually assaulted at some point in her life, stating the possibility of a woman being prone to sexual assault at some point in her life. Breaking the Silence is also a guide for girls and women to know places to avoid and to know that there is indeed a law to warn perpetrators. So far, it has helped to create an avenue for people to come out without feeling bad or fear being stigmatized to tell their stories.
