Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care organized a sensitization program to celebrate the International Women’s Day with women from diverse backgrounds in the Lagos Mainland, Local Government Area. Though globally marked on March 8, the event was held on March 17th, not just to celebrate but to also enlighten the participants on the theme of the program; GIVE TO GAIN.

The program was graced with the presence of the women leader of the Lagos Mainland Local Government area, Hajia Muftiat Bajulaiye, founder of Womenfold Global Aid Foundation alongside the Youth Leader, Dr. Bashiru Bisoye Emilagba.

For many attendees, the event was deeply personal. Mothers, traders, young graduates and community leaders were all in attendance, listening to messages that affirmed their struggles and potentials. The Executive director of Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care, Bella Akhagba, gave a clear and urgent message, saying “the International Women’s Day is not just a day to celebrate achievements only but also a day to reawaken the government commitments towards women”.

Dr. Bashiru Bisoye Emilagba, a youth leader also described the day as a rare opportunity to acknowledge the unseen labor of women. ” They are the ones who groom the leaders we celebrate today —presidents, governors, professionals,” he said. “This day is to remind them that their sacrifices are seen and valued”. He encouraged the participants to never stop giving as there is a lot of reward to gain. He concluded his speech by urging the participants to repeat and believe in the famous phrase “GIVERS NEVER LACK”.

The Guest Speaker, Hajia Bajulaye spoke on the theme of the day which is; GIVE TO GAIN. She explained what giving means and also the importance of giving. She further explained that empowering women benefits everyone and various research shows that when women are educated, healthy and economically empowered:

• Children receive better education and care
• Families become more stable
• Communities experience lower crime rates
• Economies grow more sustainably.

The women were encouraged to support one another, celebrate each other’s successes, and reject internalized stereotypes. “Be a reason another woman is happy, don’t pull others down lift them up instead” Bajulaiye urged.

As the event drew to a close, there was a shared sense of purpose among the participants. The celebration had done more than honor women, it had reignited a movement. For many, the day ended not just with smiles, but with renewed determination. Because in the words that defined the gathering, when you give to women, you gain, not just as individuals, but as a nation.