The Female Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Network International (FEENI), an NGO, has underscored the need for investment in entrepreneurial development of women and girl-child, to promote gender equity.
The International President of FEENI, Mrs Ann George, made this assertion in her address at the third edition of the “2000 female entrepreneurship conference and awards” on Thursday in Abuja.
The event titled: “entrepreneurs connect2collect for 21st-century business and career growth” sought to help female entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.
She decried poor investments in the entrepreneurship development skills of women and girl-child, saying it contributed to the ability of some women to grow with innovations, jobs creation for themselves and also career pursuit opportunities.
According to her, the purpose is for women to come together, hold hands and take themselves to another level; we cannot continue to sit there and complain.
“We need to begin now to say where ever we find ourselves in our home we can make money there, is it in our offices?
“Where ever we are going because women are entrepreneurial in nature and them multi-task; they are mothers, they are wives, they are businesswomen.
“You see that a lot of them are doing quite a lot of things but because that confidence is not there, so FEENI is actually to bring out these women.
“Give them the knowledge they require to take themselves to another level that is why we are talking of entrepreneurship.”
In separate interviews, an Entrepreneurship Trainer, Mrs Desire Cussions, identified the inability of women to balance family and career life to often hinder entrepreneurial growth.
Cushions, who conducted the training on “understanding the basics of financial growth,” stressed the need for the proper training of women in entrepreneurial skills to enable them to achieve meaningful growth.
“It has been very difficult to have women find a balance between family, career and their work-life; a lot of times we fail to understand that women have so much to offer to society.
“Whenever a woman is trained you can be sure that a whole lot has been educated and brought out from the streets.
“Women have so much potential in them that has not been harnessed, a lot of women have talents and these talents are not expressed.
“So this is an opportunity hub for women where women are brought together because it is a way of raising the hope of those who think that all hope is lost.”
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Meanwhile, a beneficial, Mrs Ada Awurum, said that training on entrepreneurship had helped her to balance her family and work-life
Ada, a Chief Executive Director of Damsel Cosmetics, said although she took part in the second edition of the training programme, more was done through involvement in mentorship to achieve the target.
“I attended the training last year and signed up for Dr Cussions mentorship class and I now reason like an entrepreneur, I am now a certified entrepreneur.
“This training has made me manage my time better; I am now very prudent with my time, my husband no longer complains about the kids and that I have time.
“I am no longer under pressure because I have systems in place, even if and even if I am not there in the business runs effectively.
“So, I have more time now for my family, my friends and every other thing.”
The high point of the event were presentations on the power of social media and technology in business growth, integrity in business, essentials of business and business from the eyes of women.
The programme, which attracted women, Dr Cally Cussions, a life coach, Mrs Temitope Ajibewa, Director of Millionaire Housewife, featured cutting of anniversary cake and presentation of awards. (NAN)