By OLUWAFUNKE ISHOLA

Mrs Bisi Fayemi, former First Lady of Ekiti State, has challenged expectations that women should interrupt their professional and personal development to fulfil traditional domestic roles.

Fayemi said this during the 10th Voice of Women Conference & Awards (VOW2026) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The conference, which had the theme: “A Decade of Voices and Impact”, gathered speakers to commemorate a decade of advocacy and amplification of women’s voices by Women FM and the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation.

Referring to what she described as the “one-hour woman,” Fayemi criticised the expectation that women should use their lunch breaks to rush home to cook before returning to work.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fayemi’s comment came from a viral social media post in which a Nigerian female religious speaker advised working women to dash home during their breaks to prepare lunch for their husbands.

Fayemi argued that such expectations were inconsistent with efforts to raise girls with confidence, ambition, dignity and a strong sense of their rights.

According to her, women should be able to use their breaks to eat, network with colleagues, engage mentors, connect with family or pursue personal development rather than being pressured into domestic chores.

Fayemi further called for boys to be raised to become responsible partners, providers and protectors who understand mutual respect and responsibility.

She urged organisations that conduct women’s empowerment programmes to avoid platforms that, in her view, reinforced harmful expectations or contributed to the oppression of women.

“Women have suffered enough. Girls are going through too much already.

“Women, we should stop investing in our own oppression,” she said.

She challenged women to reject the idea that their worth is tied to how quickly they could perform domestic duties for men, declaring that the “army of one-hour women” would not be marching anytime soon.

The keynote speaker, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, urged women to move beyond raising concerns to driving practical solutions, building stronger networks and creating lasting social impact.

The philanthropist and business mogul urged women to ensure their voices count, their capacity delivers competence, their visibility has purpose, their influence drives action, and their actions create lasting impact.

Reflecting on the Women FM and the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation’s first decade, Alakija said it showed what could happen when women were given a voice.

“Let the next decade show us what happens when women turn that voice into transformation,” she said.

The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, congratulated the organisers for 10 years of creating platforms for women’s voices, experiences and aspirations to be heard.

She noted that the organisations had consistently brought issues affecting women to public attention while informing, educating and advocating for greater participation by women in decisions affecting their lives and communities.

Salako-Oyedele acknowledged advances made by women in education, enterprise, and public service but said significant gaps remained.

She identified economic opportunities, quality healthcare, education, leadership positions and meaningful participation in governance as areas requiring continued attention.

The deputy governor stressed that advancing women’s voices was not solely the responsibility of government or advocacy organisations.

She urged women to mentor younger women, create opportunities for colleagues and deliberately support other women as they advance.

“Lift as you rise,” she said, emphasising the importance of building networks that ensure women do not have to pursue progress alone.

She also called on participants to translate the discussions at the conference into practical action through stronger networks, new partnerships and renewed commitment within their respective spheres of influence.

Mrs Kafilat Ogbara, member of the House of Representatives, representing Kosofe Federal Constituency, advocated the passage of the proposed reserved-seat bill for women in the National Assembly.

She described it as an important step towards increasing women’s political representation.

Ogbara, a co-sponsor and champion of the bill, appealed to women across the country to support efforts to secure its passage.

She contrasted the slow progress of the proposal with the speed at which other major legislative measures, including state police and tax reform bills, had moved through the legislative process.

Ogbara emphasised that women’s empowerment and gender inclusion should not be viewed simply as questions of representation or numbers but as issues directly connected to national development.

“When every woman in every home is okay and empowered, the nation is empowered,” she said.

Dr Amina Salihu, Deputy Director, MacArthur Foundation Africa Office, urged women to build relationships and alliances proactively rather than waiting until they need support.

She urged women to support rather than undermine one another, encouraging them to “call in a sister rather than calling out a sister” as a way of strengthening women’s bonds and communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that awards were given to some individuals in recognition of their contributions to advancing women’s voices, empowerment and health.

Some of the awardees include Dr Stella Okoli, Founder, Emzor Pharmaceutical; Dr Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director, Bank of Industry; Mrs Kafilat Ogbara; Mr Ayodele Zubair, Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), among others. (NAN)

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