Esther Ijewere: Being A Catalyst of Lasting Change As Media Consultant

Esther Ijewere is a multi-award-winning human rights advocate who has over time challenged the status quo with her various roles as a change catalyst. The Canadian-based journalist doubles as a writer, author, editor of Women of Rubies and host of the syndicated YouTube show, Get Talking with Esther. 

She delved into public relations As a certified practitioner a decade ago to redesign brands and individuals at home and abroad from the entertainment industry, financial, and women empowerment to personal brands.

Ijewere has spotlighted over 1,000 women across the globe including first ladies, notable personalities and giants of industries. She is the convener of Rubies Ink Initiative for Women and Children launched in 2009. It’s a non-profit outfit devoted to advocacy, development and women’s empowerment. The umbrella organisation covers several women and girl-child-related projects including Walk Against Rape, Women of Rubies, Project Capable, Rubies Ink Media and the College Acquaintance Rape Education Workshop. 

Ijewere takes pride in her role as a key member of Walk Against Rape (W.A.R), an advocacy initiative created to assist rape victims and seek justice. This initiative was endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. This campaign led her to organise rape sensitising workshops in secondary schools across Nigeria tagged College Acquaintance Rape Education (C.A.R.E) in partnership with the Lagos state Ministry of Justice and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).

In 2013, her activism against rape led her to write the book Breaking the Silence, a book that informs about rape and its scourge.[6] She runs a community for men called Men Who Inspire to celebrate the bravery in men. In 2015, Ijewere organised a walk against rape which attracted top celebrities like Kate Henshaw, Ali Baba, Toni Payne, and DJ Jimmy Jatt among a host of others.

The graduate of Sociology from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria, is also a Fellow with Vital Voices Global Leadership USA, an organisation founded by Hillary Clinton to empower young women to be change-makers globally.

She strives to be that positive change in society. Hence, through her Get Talking with Esther, an online talk show (Tweetchat), Ijewere is helping people find their voice and communicate their thoughts through words, and promote positivity on social media.

Again, in May 2022, she hosted the catalyst 2030 session on media and public policy. The virtual workshop was hosted during the Catalyzing Change Week 2022 (CCW2022).

These activities strategically charted a course for igniting change and earned her accolades. On 9 July 2016, she was awarded the “Young Person of the Year Award” at the 2016 Miss Tourism Nigeria beauty pageant. She is also a recipient of the Wise Women Awards’ “Christian Woman in Media Award” which she won in June 2016. In 2018, Ijewere clinched the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Exquisite Ladies of the Year Awards.

Ijewere says she isn’t backing down any time soon. She is resilient in her resolve to be the voice and the change the world has yearned for.