Adebayo Alonge Agenda Introduction - Adebayo Alonge YALI Key Learning Points The MDGs - Progress analysis Imperatives to empower women - Role of Nigerian youths Initiatives Conclusion Introduction: Adebayo Alonge UI-trained professional pharmacist MBA from Lagos Business School Mandela Washington Fellow in Business at Yale Runs a social business distributing medicines in Lagos and Ibadan Strongly believes that improving healthcare in rural areas will improve rural livelihoods
Washington Fellowship Key Learning Points From Yale Every business must have a theory of change that defines why it exists Washington Fellowship Key Learning Points From UN Keep girls in school-this is the best defense against abuse for women and the kids they have Washington Fellowship Key Learning Points From Presidential Summit The single-best measure of whether a country succeeds or not is how it treats its women The MDGs- Progress Analysis Goal Promote gender equality and empower women - Glass ceilings limit increase in numbers of women in decisive roles in business and politics Target Progress Achieve universal primary education -60% of 126 million illiterate youths are women -23% of poor rural girls complete primary school Improve maternal health -Maternal mortality reduced by 45% as against 75% - Nigeria accounts for 14% of global maternal deaths Target Progress Imperatives to empower women - Role of Nigerian youths Achieve universal primary education
Adopt a primary school Promote gender equality and empower women
Sponsor girls to tertiary institutions Write to your parliament to propose legislation supporting generous parental leave and the establishment of work- based child and elderly care facilities Campaign for political parties to have quotas reserved for female candidates Speak out in public against any female molestation you observe and advocate for stiffer penalties for rape
Improve maternal health
Volunteer to teach secondary school students about sexual rights, reproductive health and advocate for the set up of teenage-counseling centres in primary health centres Write to your governor to set up maternal and childcare centres in every local government of your state
Initiatives Lusoy is donating half-a-million naira to 1. Set up The young capital for entrepreneurial girls initiative to fund businesses of rural girls aged 15-20 years
2. Donate period kits to 50 girls aged 10-15 years in two rural secondary schools Both projects will run in Lagos and Ibadan
What will you do?
Conclusion Africas future lies-with those women-run businesses, with those girls attending university, and with emerging leaders like us who are making those dreams possible. And the question today is how all of us will steer Africas course to embrace that future. And we all know the ripple effects we can have when we give our girls a chance to learn. We all know that girls who are educated earn higher wages. Theyre more likely to stand up to discrimination and abuse. They have healthier children who are more likely to attend school themselves. Its up to us all to create the better future we desire and use our relentless energies to get the impossible done!