Esther Ijewere: Geared Up to Equip the Male Child

Esther Ijewere: Geared Up to Equip the Male Child

Rebecca Ejifoma

For the cause of children and women, advocates like Esther Ijewere, who clocked a year older on Wednesday April 14, believes that balancing the gender equation will not only better the world, but also the lives of the female child and women in the society.

With her undying love for advocacy from her university days, Ijewere finds pleasure in helping people, lending her voice, resources and time, or in any way she can make life easier for others, especially women and children.

Now despite clamouring for a better future for women especially, Ijewere set up Men Inspire. “This is just balancing the gender equation. I will always be an advocate for women, but I also know that men matter as well.

“We only created a platform to celebrate men who add value to society, there is no switch. The Rubies Ink Initiative for women and children is still the main vision.”

On what inspired her to channel her energy to the male child, the advocate said, “I have always been surrounded by great men, men who respect women, and add value to society.”

She emphasised how she noticed a lot of focus on her gender, female, hence, she thought adding to the stories of exceptional men to the front burner and celebrate them.

For Ijewere, men are as important as women, as they play vital roles in society. “As much as there are bad men out there, we should not let it trump the values the good ones add to the world at large.

“Someone has to speak for the men and the boy child. Being a women’s rights advocate does not mean I should be anti-men. Men and boys matter”.

Among her mechanism to drive home the goal of Inspire Men, she listed strategic collaboration with the government, and celebrities.

Her words: “We have collaborated with government agencies and other stakeholders, celebrities as ambassador for some of our activities like the walk against rape.

“Our Women of Rubies platform is pan Nigeria, as we not only celebrate women from every sector but also have volunteers in major geographical zones across the country.”

With the world employing technology to reach a wider audience, Ijewere is leveraging social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram – to reach a wider and its targeted audience.

With Inspire Men, Ijewere is amplifying her goals from organising virtual trainings on different income generating skills to creating awareness on social causes.

Interestingly, Ijewere is an award winning advocate. Her Women of Rubies won the award for Social Innovation from WFM 91.7 for its outstanding contribution in the empowerment of the female gender for self sustainability through capacity building platform.

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