Vital Voices made me navigate my passion - Esther Ijewere

Esther Ijewere is a woman of many parts; writer, author and brains behind Walk Against Rape, an advocacy initiative created to lend a voice for victims of rape.

In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she opens up on her passion, inspiration, challenges and life as a Fellow with Vital Voices Global Leadership USA; an organisation founded by Hillary Clinton and focused on empowering young women change makers all over the world.

Tell us about your experience working on your initiative Walk Against Rape?

It is wonderful when you can lend your voice to the voiceless victims of Rape, help them demand justice, make sure it is served, and follow up the case to a conclusive end, that pretty much explains the joy of being an advocate, and working on the initiative.

What inspired you to go into this?

At the time I started the anti-rape campaign, I realised a lot of people were scared of reporting cases of rape out of fear of being stigmatised and judged. The number of reported cases was very low. This propelled me to start the sensitization awareness and lend my voice while complementing the work of the Government, and stakeholders in curbing rape and other forms of sexual violence. Being a mother of two girls also deepened my passion for the cause, as I cannot imagine any of them having to go through such ordeal in life.

What are some of the achievements and challenges?

One of the biggest achievements is creating awareness and sensitizing the society through our workshops and outreach programme. Another achievement is my information handbook on Rape “Breaking the silence”, endorsed by the Lagos State Government and Ministry of Women Affairs respectively. This has been donated to several secondary and tertiary institutions. Another achievement for me is engaging Celebrities to lend their voice, and use their platforms to encourage victims to speak up. We’ve signed over 50 celebrities since inception of the initiative, and their input helped in driving the message home. One of the biggest challenges associated with advocating for Rape victims is the culture of silence, and the fear of speaking up, a lot of victims would rather remain silent to avoid stigmatization.

There are still people who also still believe Rape is non-existent, this class of people make the job hard, but with technology, access to information and education, we are gradually making progress with this challenge.

You are also a Social activist. What is your assessment of the sector at the moment?

I am immensely proud to see more women becoming social activists, and lending their voice to the cause. We need more people with passion to rise up, and make their voices count where it matters.  When I started out over a decade ago, I used to say; “We have a long way to go”, but now I can confidently say we are getting close, and things are a lot more different.

What has been the experience with Vital Voices on Leadership?

Vital Voices shaped my career and gave me clarity on how to navigate my passion to make my voice count in the society. Being selected at that time for the exchange programme as one of the 50 women by an organisation founded by Hillary Clinton was such an honour. The experience is still a vision board I consult when I need re-direction. It literally made me realize that I deserve a seat at the table, and I should never settle for less.

How would you describe women and Leadership roles in Nigeria?

We’ve seen a paradigm shift in the spaces women occupy, and the leadership roles they hold in the society. We are gradually getting what we’ve been advocating for; Nigerian women are not only breaking boundaries, but also leading by example, and making their voices count in any sector they are.

What are some of the other things that occupy your time?

Parenting: that’s like a lifetime job, but also one that presently occupy most of my time as a single parent. It is the best job I have ever had. Spending time with my kids, learning from them daily, and setting them on the right path in life. My work also takes my time, but I make sure to try and have a healthy work life balance.

What are some of the changes that you will like to see in the country today?

I would like to see more women in leadership position. I’d also like to see a safer country where people are not scared to air their view and voice their concerns freely. A country with good infrastructure, where everything works, and the lives of the citizens matter.

Did you have mentors at the beginning? What has been their impact?

I had a mentor when I started; Mrs. Titi Akinlade, she helped me discover my path, and gave me the support I needed in my field. The impact of the mentor-mentee experience is the reason why I am still standing till this day; through her I learnt the difference between being “relevant” and “Popular”. She also taught me the power of standing in my light always regardless of the stumbling blocks. In all honesty, I can’t measure her impact in my life, I am truly grateful for her support, and guidance.

Tell us about your Women of Rubies platform?

I started Women of Rubies in 2015 to celebrate, empower and lift women up. Since inception we have celebrated and showcased over 1000 women globally through my column and our social media platforms. It is a project that is very dear to me because I started it at a time, I was going through a dark period. Instead of going down spiral, I used it as a torch for clarity, the stories of the women inspire me to be better and never give up.

Let’s talk about your initiative known as Get Talking with Esther?

“I am very expressive, I love to write and read from people. I love to celebrate people and give them hope, I love when I can feel people’s thoughts through words, and “Get talking with Esther” is just about that. “Basically, using my platform, years of experience, and skill set for social good to give everyone a voice. We are going to be fixing broken tables, bringing “under the table” conversations to the front burner for positivity. It is also about sharing life experiences, healing, and learning“.

If you had to change something in the sector what would it be?

I would like to see more victims speaking up, demanding for justice, and following up the case to a conclusive end. A lot of victims back out mid way into their cases, thereby wasting resources of NGO’s, and stakeholders in the GBCV sector; this can be very frustrating, especially when an advocate has gone all out to stand in gap. I hope victims who come forward will have total trust in the organisations and allow them to do their work without interference. I also wish we had more shelters for women who flee abusive relationships, if these women know they have a place to go, many of them won’t manage such relationships, but rather run to safety.

What advice do you have for young people about the current challenges in the economy?

Don’t focus on the problems plaguing the economy, rather focus on your strength and have a positive mindset. It is truly a tough period globally, but we must be thankful for life. There is always light somewhere, find it, hold on to it, and let it guide you.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

God is the greatest influence in my life, I have lived a very tough life, but God has never left me for one day. When my strength fails me; HE is there to lift me up. When I cannot see the light at the end of tunnel, HE shows me his light through HIS words. God’s influence in my life is unquantifiable. I am who I am today because of the love and compassion of God, and everyone HE has  used as a vessel to support me through my magnificent messy, but still blessed life journey.

What lessons has life taught you?

Life has taught me to believe in myself, no matter how hard things get. Life has also taught me to avoid people who respect my mountain top and disrespect my rock bottom.