UK Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria; Laure Beaufils

• Two special guests; Mrs Joanna Roaper, who is the Commonwealth special envoy for gender equality and Laure Beaufils, who is the first female deputy High commisioner to Nigeria

• Toolz goes on to talk about how she was invited to Maiduguri, Borno state (the hot bed of the sect, Boko Haram) by the British High Commisioner. She talks on her growing fears especially as there was a bimb blast a week before the trip but is glad she went because she learnt a lot

• There are also a lot of organizations in the area doing a lot to empower the people in the region, especially with the women in the Internally Displaced Person’s camp…

Mrs Joanna Roper; UK Special Envoy for Gender Equality and Chair of FCO Women

• Mrs Roaper and Joana go on to talk about their experience in Borno state.

• Toolz goes on to mention a woman (Fatimah) who arrived the IDP camp, with 7 children because her husband was killed. She was one of the recipients of the 70,000 Naira grant and she was able to start a business with it and grew it into 3 businesses. She had her children working for her and also taught other women some textile making skills

• Gbemi asks the women what obstacles they have faced in their line of work and they talk of the struggle that is the fight for gender equality. They are trying to create a level ground for boys and girls in different areas

• The British Deputy Commisioner to Nigeria also talks about her past work, including her work in Uganda, India and such countries that have similar social issues to Nigeria. Rwanda is a country of less than 12 million people and it’s quite controlled and clean while Lagos is not as clean or controlled but it edgy, entreprenurial and creative and has other good qualities

• There is talk about the re-education of men and changing of the mindsets of boys and men in Nigeria as to how they treat women and while there is a lot of chatter and education on gender equality on social media,Gbemi notes that there are a lot of men who are not on Twitter and as such they are not being educated/ re-oriented as such

• Toolz also talks her meeting with the Senate President and how they intend on crafting bills that’s going to advance the causes of the female gender in all parts of Nigeria

• Madame Laure Beaufils also talks the ways in which we can advance the  matter of  gender equality

• Toolz and Gbemi talk the different ways women are discriminated against in Nigeria

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