International Women’s Day 2022: Celebrating Nigeria's Female Pioneers

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality. 

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed to level the playing field.
Today, we celebrate five amazing Nigerian women who have broken stereotypes and are recognized as leaders, achievers and change-makers. These women are pacesetters and role models that show younger women that their dreams are valid.

1. Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi MBE, OFR was the first woman to practise as a physician in Nigeria. She was also the first West African woman to earn a licence of Royal Surgeon in Dublin. She was the second president of the National Council of Women's Societies of Nigeria from 1964 to 1971.

2. Captain Chinyere Kalu, MFR is the first Nigerian female commercial pilot and the first woman to fly an aircraft in Nigeria. She served as the rector and chief instructor of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology between October 2011 and February 2014.

3. Ire Aderinokun - Ire Aderinokun is a Nigerian front end develope. She is Nigeria's first female Google Developer Expert. She is also the Cofounder, COO, and VP Engineering of Helicarrier, a company that builds cryptocurrency infrastructure.

4. Agbani Darego, MFR is a Nigerian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 2001. She was the first Indigenous African to win the Miss World beauty pageant.

​5.Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar has had many firsts: she is the first female lawyer from Northern Nigeria, first female judge of the High Court in Kano State judiciary, the first female justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, the first female justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria ,and the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria.
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Source: International Women’s Day