Women
IWD: Emboldening Women For Change
Occasions like the just celebrated International Women’s Day presents an opportunity to evaluate the achievement of women in their struggle for their right. Since the day was officially declared 106 years ago, women all over the globe have used the event to push for several demands including gender parity, economic equality, end to prejudice and insecurity faced by women in work places, marginalization and many more.
Indeed women in different parts of the world are daily faced with cultural, social, religious , economic barriers that hinder their growth and development. Ours is a society where women are denied education merely because of their gender. The situation is not different in the political sector – discrimination all the way.
But despite all these odds, many women have excelled in their various fields of endeavor. Today we have women at the helm of affairs of many nations, organizations and establishments. In Engineering, Journalism, Education, Health, Business there are numerous female achievers who refused to be pulled down by the obstacles they faced and probably still face as women.
That is why this year’s theme for IWD’s celebration: Be Bold For Change, is very apt and interesting . The theme challenges women to be daring and courageous despite the barriers they face believing that if other women could break these barriers and make a difference, they too can do so.
However, it must be stated that these female achievers did not wait for manner to fall from heaven. They equipped themselves for the challenge through hard work. Some of them prepared themselves for the challenge through quality education and constant training and retraining. The uneducated ones on the other hand, were able to make it through their sweat. In various communities across the nation we have great female farmers. These women are saddled with their machetes and hoes years unending, struggling to sustain their families, their communities and the nation at large. Some other women are trading daily under the rain and the sun. Through this they are able to feed their families and train their children in schools.
So, more women should be encouraged to emulate these successful women and equip themselves in order to make some positive impacts in the society. If women must achieve the equality they crave, they must work hard. We can encourage women to be bold and make a change by celebrating women that have broken the barriers, and made remarkable achievements. One of them is the State Deputy Governor, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry-Banigo. Her track record over the years right from her secondary school days at Queens College, Yaba , Lagos places her among great women to be celebrated. She is an outstanding administrator, a renown dermatologist, a core civil servant who has served the State in various capacities including, but not limited to being Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government, an Acting Commissioner and Permanent Secretary. Both in the formal and informal sectors such women abound. Celebrating them will embolden other women particularly the younger ones to work hard and aim higher.
However, women cannot do it alone. They need the support and encouragement of the male folk. If all husbands, brothers, uncles, male friends should value and support the women in their lives instead of looking down on them and putting stumbling blocks on their ways, women will surely do more. How about parents discriminating against their female children? The moment parents stopped valuing their male children more than the female and start treating them equally, the confidence of the female children will increase and that is a necessary instrument they need to succeed and make a change in life.
Calista Ezeaku
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
