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| Thursday, 17 June 2010 18:32 |
Biola Adimula, Nigeria
Biography
As a young girl fetching water every morning, balancing wood and water atop her head in her village of Egbe Nigeria, Biola imagined herself an educated woman of the world! Her dream, it ends up, is not so unusual. “In Nigeria, women believe in education. We like our children to go into the law profession or medicine.” And they mean it! FIDA in Nigeria, a women’s lawyers association, is powerful and organized. These women are changing the face of that country. Her school tuition covered by her brother, Biola set her sights on the prize. After college, she entered law school, and is now an international advocate for children and women, as well as a principal partner in a law firm in Kwara State, Nigeria. She is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Women and Child Watch Initiatives and a passionate advocate for the under-served, particularly children. Her current passion is to serve as a Child Rights Advocate for the newly formed Children’s Parliament set up by the government of Nigeria – complete with a children’s Congress, state representatives, and court cases filed by the children themselves. Listen to her amazing story, from village to powerful legal career, in a “Meet the Woman” call on February 22. Return on March 2, where in an “In-Depth Conversation” we will talk about her exciting work with the all new Children’s Parliament of Nigeria. She will be accompanied by her 18-year-old daughter, who will share a few words about her role as a state representative.
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 31 March 2011 23:05 |
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"This is a special greeting to my sisters: American women, it is so fascinating that I will be talking with you very soon about the work I do with women and children in my country, Nigeria. The challenges are much here in Africa - you talk of poverty level, girl child education, child bride issues, women in agriculture, domestic violence, health issues, educational challenges, et cetera. Though the government is doing a lot of programmes toward the attainment of Millenium development goals, these problems still stare us in the face. I must tell you that the Civil Society in Nigeria including Women and Child Watch Initiatives (WOCWI), of which I am chair, are doing a lot to advocate and pursue better lives for women and children. I feel excited to inform you of a striking government step in addressing child rights issues. This is the establishment of Children’s Parliament at National and State levels. These young Senators and Honourables pass resolutions that protect the rights of children in Nigeria. I coordinate these youngsters to demand their rights from the government and to demand programmes that will benefit and improve the welfare of children." |