Gender-Based Discrimination: Hassan Bello offers free legal support for maritime women

The Principal Partner of Justicia Legal Practitioners, Barr. Hassan Bello has offered free legal counsel and support to Nigerian women in maritime who are victims of gender-based discrimination in the workplace.

Bello, who is also a former Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), made this pledge while speaking at the 2024 MMS Hall of Fame Induction and Life-Impact Awards at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja on Wednesday.

The veteran lawyer and maritime administrator said his law firm is willing to support Nigerian women in their bid to ensure equity in the workplace and curb gender-based discrimination.

“We are willing to partner with Nigerian women for legal support and counsel in combating any discrimination or gender-based conflicts especially within the maritime industry. This is because women’s right matter,” Bello said.

In his keynote address at the event, Bello observed that Nigerian women have proven themselves to be capable in various leadership positions, but lack of access to education, finance and employment opportunities coupled with harassment stand as obstacles to the development of women.

“Gender equality is also pivotal to the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDG) for equality via equal rights to opportunities, access to education, employment and careerpaths. It’s not okay to just be a woman leader in a political party who comes to Abuja after the party wins an election and forgets to push for the opportunities that should accrue to women.”

“Women must have economic and political agenda that politicians must answer before emerging as leaders. They should make political aspirants share their position about genital mutilation, underage marriage, statutory representation of women in governance and empowerment of women. These are questions that political leaders must answer and women groups must ask these questions before endorsing politicians,” Bello argued.

On her part, one of 2024 inductees and Vice President of Clarion Bonded Terminal, Mrs. Bernadine Ifeoma Eloka, expressed delight at the induction even as she advised the organisers to ensure the government and its core regulatory agencies are involved in subsequent outings.

“All that we discussed at this summit are apt, substantial and informative. However, it isn’t okay to just converge to talk without making significant steps to get government to act on these ideas and strategies canvassed at the conference.”

“In Nigeria, we are used to talking and making beautiful presentations but those in government are better placed to take strategic decisions. I would advise the MMS Hall of Fame makes efforts to get them actively involved in these women-centric summits,” Mrs. Eloka said.

Meanwhile, she described the 2024 MMS Hall of Fame as encouraging and impactful, adding that most younger women can be inspired by the leadership strides of women who were celebrated at the event.

“One of the lessons I would give to young girls and women is to quickly identify their calling, their passion and unique gifts. Working on those gifts will give young women an advantage, even as we can’t discount the place of God and His grace,” she stated.

Also speaking, another inductee/ Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Deep Services Limited, Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, must first understand their respective career paths and businesses before intentionally prioritizing capacity building.

“Women should be celebrated all the time because they are professionals across various fields, they are mothers, they are doctors and house keepers, they are nannies, among others. A father is only a father and a breadwinner. In some cases, women are also breadwinners,” Macfoy asserted.

While making a presentation at the event, the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs. Binta Adamu Bello, maintained that to achieve gender equality, women must make tremendous impact and sacrifices in promoting peace in the society.

The NAPTIP boss, who was represented by the Acting Director, Violence Against Persons, Tolu Odugbesan, said: “As women, we must stand together united in our shared values and promote the culture of being our sister’s keeper by reporting any human trafficking or Gender Based Violence (GBV) related cases to NAPTIP, empower poor and vulnerable women and commend women that are making impact in the society.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Partner, Temerity International Experts Limited, Mrs. Temilade Ogunniyi, remarked that there is a grossly untapped sector in the digital space to proffer solutions for the nation’s maritime sector.

While encouraging women to explore the immense opportunities in the digital space for the shipping sector, she observed that port business needs innovation and full automation.

Temilade, however, stressed that Nigerian women should seek to develop themselves intellectually in a bid to be ready for opportunities when they arise in the sector.