Abuja: Women Leaders Support Advancement (WLSA) has commended the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, for supporting women empowerment, social inclusion, and humanitarian development. This commendation follows her engagement at the United Nations House in New York, where she met with the founder of WLSA.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the National Coordinator of WLSA, Fauziya Buhari-Ado, stated that Mohammed acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts in supporting women, especially the vulnerable and underserved. She praised WLSA’s grassroots initiatives aimed at empowering women in local communities and encouraged the organization to sustain its humanitarian interventions, highlighting the importance of inclusive social and economic opportunities for women to national and global development.
The UN deputy secretary-general described WLSA’s work as timely and impactful, urging continued advocacy and action to uplift women seeking improved livelihoods and dignity. In addition, Deborah Hornecker, representing WLSA and its partner organizations, expressed appreciation for Mohammed’s leadership and support for women-focused initiatives. She reaffirmed WLSA’s commitment to advancing the welfare of vulnerable Nigerian women, emphasizing that grassroots empowerment is central to the organization’s mission.
In her keynote address titled, ‘Women at the Centre of Global Progress: Leadership, Inclusion and Collective Responsibility,’ Hornecker emphasized the need for global support systems for vulnerable women. She portrayed WLSA as a movement focused on bridging advocacy and opportunity for women, from grassroots entrepreneurs to those in global institutions, ensuring their recognition, support, and growth. Empowering women and youths, she noted, is fundamental to stabilizing societies and strengthening economies.
Hornecker highlighted that humanitarian encounters involving widows, abandoned patients, and unsupported new mothers continue to drive WLSA’s interventions. She urged Nigerian women in the diaspora to contribute to community development at home and called on leaders to embrace servant leadership anchored on compassion.