2nd Annual NBAWF Conference Kicks Off With 6 Impactful Sessions, Colourful Debate
The 2nd annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Women’s Forum (NBAWF) commenced on Thursday, 31 March 2022 with six plenary sessions at the Civic Centre in Lagos.
The first day of the 2-day hybrid NBAWF Conference, which was well attended by lawyers from all walks of life, began with a welcome address by Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose, the Chairperson of the NBAWF. This was closely followed by an opening remark by Mrs Joyce Oduah, the General Secretary of the NBA as well as Goodwill messages from Mrs Chioma Uzodinma, the First Lady of Imo State; Anna Isiaku Baba, the First lady of Taraba State; and Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the Deputy Governor of Ogun state.
The first plenary session: HIDDEN BIASES IN COURTROOM DYNAMICS: GENDER AND THE JUDICIARY was chaired by Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, Broadcaster, Activist & Founder, Purple Women Foundation. Other speakers in the session were Hon. Justice Roli Harriman, High Court Judge, Delta State; Joyce Oduah, General Secretary, NBA; Rashidat Mohammed, Principal Partner, Rashidat Mohammed & Co. (Rahama Law Chamber) and Ayo Obe Partner, Ogunsola Shonibare LP & Notaries Public. The speakers in the session had a lot to say about their personal lives whilst answering the question of how they had been able to overcome gender bias in the legal profession. The unique thing they each had in common was the fact that despite the challenges and disappointments they faced from peers and superiors, they chose to turn a blind eye to the bias and walk over it. Rashidat Mohammed ended the session with the phrase; “deal with the bias, or it would deal with you”.
The second plenary session, RISING TO THE OCCASION: LEADERSHIP FROM THE EYES OF A CONTEMPORARY WOMAN was moderated by Shola Soleye, Judiciary Correspondent Channels TV. Other speakers were Wola Joseph, Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary, Eko Electricity Distribution Plc; Nta Ekpiken, Principal Partner, NECS; Sheryl Galler, Chairperson New York State Bar Association Women in Law Section and Chinwe Odigboegwu, Legal Director, Guiness Nigeria Plc. The session explored the professional and patriarchal structures in the legal profession that affect the compatibility of work, family life and the work-life balance for women as well as the everyday experiences that contribute to the successes of women in the legal profession. Each speaker being a family woman had relevant experiences to share and shared insights as to how to strike a balance in work and life generally.
The third plenary session, ADVANCING SOCIETY: THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AS A FRIEND OR FOE? was moderated by Folasade Olusanya, Partner, Jackson, Etti & Edu. Other plenary members were Kunle Lawal, Executive Director, Electoral College Nigeria; Hon. Onofiok Akpan Luke, Member, Federal House of Representative; Prof. Uche Ewelukwa Ofodile (SJD Harvard), Senior Fellow Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University; Dr. Foluke Dada Founding Partner, District Law Firm, Lagos; and Mahmud Yusuf, Program Manager, Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI) Nigeria. The session examined the recent decision of the National Assembly, which consists of 95.9% men, to vote against greater participation of women in public governance as well as related issues connected with women in leadership in political parties and citizenship rights. It also discussed the effect of the National Assembly refusing to pass crucial amendments that support gender inclusive laws for Nigerian women. The men on the committee had a lot to say about women pushing themselves and lending a voice to support each other.
The fourth plenary session, THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED: BULLYING AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION was moderated by Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of the Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency. Other plenary members were Dolapo Kukoyi, Managing Partner, Detail Commercial Solicitors; Eno-Obong Akpan, Esq., Chairperson Emeritus, NBA Uyo Branch; Ose Okpeku, Partner, The Law Crest; Omowunmi Fajemiroye, Assistant General Manager, Legal TGI Group and Baba Alokolaro, Managing Partner, The New Practice TNP. With increased national attention on sexual harassment and related issues. Lawyers need to be on the front line in the fight against sexism and harassment. The session was aimed at providing the tools needed to challenge the issues involved in reporting sexual misconduct, including the gap between reporting and prosecuting cases, as well as how reporting will often limit a survivor’s access to job opportunities. The speakers had a lot to say about their personal experiences on sexual harassment from their male and female counterparts. In rounding up the session, the speakers raised the point of the thin line between bullying and sexual harassment adding that it is our duty to correct this defect at all levels.
The fifth plenary session, SHATTERING STEREOTYPES – HEELS IN THE BOARDROOM – A CASE FOR NAVIGATING OR NEGOTIATING THE CORPORATE LADDER was moderated by Irene Netimah, Company Secretary, FirstBank Nigeria Limited. Other speakers in this session were Tonye Patrick Cole, Former MD, Sahara group; Ifeoma Utah, General Counsel, MTN Nigeria; Dupe Olusola, Director/ CEO Transcorp Hotels Plc.; Sesan Suleiman, Managing Counsel, Templars and Adewunmi Alode, Company Secretary, Lafarge. The session discussed how women can ascend the corporate ladder without compromising competence and improve their bargaining power and in addition, key success strategies and whether or not there should be deliberate policies on women representation on Boards. Each of the speakers being members of senior boards had a lot to say while recounting their experiences in working their ways up the ladder to their current positions. They laid roadmaps for women to fight the imbalance and to ensure representations in the board room.
The conference came to an end with an interactive debate on the topic JUSTIFYING DIVERSITY – SHOULD QUOTAS BE USED TO ACHIEVE LEGAL PARITY? The debaters, Dare Amusan, Senior Associate, A. K. Odumah & Co. and Georgette Monnou, Legal Lead – Group,West & Central Africa, pawaPay spoke intelligently on policy making and achieving gender diversity in the legal profession. This session was moderated by Aderinsola Fagbure, Principal Partner in Black & White LP.
