by Chinwe Okafor

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde visited South Africa yesterday to join the ONE Campaign and other celebrities across the globe in a new campaign to promote Women Empowerment.

She’s participating in a music thriller, accompanying a campaign song that will be performed by top African female singers including Omawumi (Nigeria), Judith Sephuma (South Africa) and Victoria Kimani (Kenya). The song will be co-produced by Cobhams Asuquo and Masterkraft.

The campaign is tagged “Poverty is Sexist”, meaning that women and girls are most seriously affected by poverty. And in order to eradicate extreme poverty, there is a serious need to promote women empowerment.

‘Poverty is Sexist’ was conceived to support the ‘Africa Union Year of Women Empowerment’.

The campaign was launched on Thursday, April 16, by the ONE Campaign in Abuja, at a policy forum that was attended by representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Equity Advocates and Save the Children Nigeria among others.

The song, according to the organizers, will be used to promote the campaign across the world, and will be officially launched in Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa, during the World Economic Forum for Africa and the African Union Summit.

The campaign has a petition which calls on African leaders to fast-track the fight against poverty, by investing more in women and girls, and ensuring that resources put to the service of women and girls are transparently and accountably used.

Speaking about her new role as ambassador for ONE Campaign, Omotola said, “I am fortunate to be a young woman living her dreams, a trailblazer of my generation. But I also recognize that many women and girls are not so fortunate. Women and girls are hit hardest by the effects of extreme poverty, but when we invest in women and girls, we increase and accelerate the chances of overcoming extreme poverty – for everyone.”

Ada Igboanugo