“Women Are No Longer Waiting For Opportunities To Be Created For, And Handed To Them, We Are Taking Up Space And Creating Opportunities For Ourselves. – Ireti Doyle

Actress, Ireti Doyle, has called on older women to become safe spaces for younger girls and women in society, stressing the need for guidance rather than judgment.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Scoop, Doyle said older women have a responsibility to lead by example and provide support for younger generations.

She said, “Our role should be that of leadership (more by example) and guidance. We should be a safe space. I find that the older we get, the more judgmental we tend to become. Perhaps, this stems from an impatience towards our foolish younger selves in them.

“We all made mistakes, we were just fortunate to make them in an era when there was no social media. Judge less, guide more. You can’t lead, guide, or advise a person who doesn’t trust you.”

Speaking on the significance of International Women’s Day, the actress noted that women play a vital role in holding society together, adding that the day offers a global moment to spotlight their experiences and challenges. “I believe that women are the glue that holds everything together, and for that, they should be acknowledged/reckoned with, and catered to every single day.

“What does one out of 365 days mean to me? It’s one day when the world stops all at the same time, to acknowledge women globally, celebrate our strengths, highlight our challenges, and as a collective, seek and share solutions.

“It is one day when global attention is focused 100 per cent on women, where we can be as loud as we want about our struggles and desires, amplifying the voices of women who are not heard,” she said

Doyle also spoke on sexual harassment and rape, urging society to show greater compassion to victims and create stronger systems of support. “I think there is more awareness, and people who were violated are willing to speak up more and more. Social media has helped. There is effort, but there’s more to be done. I would say people are more cautious, knowing that exposure on a global scale is possible. I’d like to see a greater duty of care towards victims,” she said.

Commenting on the evolving landscape of Nollywood, Doyle noted that women are increasingly creating opportunities for themselves rather than waiting to be given one.

“Talking about Nollywood today, Women are no longer waiting for opportunities to be created for, and handed to them. We are taking up space and creating opportunities for ourselves. Look at the landscape, several of the biggest players in Nollywood today are women,” she said.

Source: Punch

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com