The newly-elected Soroptimist President, Mainland chapter, Mrs Catherine Adeniyi, has pledged to advance and promote cause of women and girl-child during her tenure as the 25th president of the organisation.
Adeniyi, made the pledge in a statement on Monday in Lagos.
During her investiture, she promised to strive for the advancement of women with focus on projects that would better their lives.
The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony, performed by the National President of Soroptimist International Nigeria, Dr Aniebue Adaku, also had other past presidents of the organisation among other dignitaries in attendance.
Adeniyi said, “Women are key to achieving transformational, economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development.
“I promised to raise the bar of the Soroptimist International Interest which is called the “3E” – to Educate, to Enable and to Empower women and girl child.”
According to her, Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls with over 80,000 members in 133 countries.
She added that the group is committed to working for peace, and improving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.
“In partnership with The Xanderena Foundation, we will embark on a campaign for good health and well-being, quality education and gender equality.
“In the schools, we will hold health talks with students-centred health awareness, general hygiene, signs and symptoms of illness, drugs and alcohol abuse, bullying, mental health, oral care, and girls’ and boys’ health.
“It is important children understand that mental health issues are real,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi is the founder of The Ruthsville Foundation, an NGO to support abused women/girls and underprivileged youths.
The foundation’s work gained recognition, when, in 2019, it was awarded a grant of 10,000 dollars by the United States Mission in Nigeria to execute a community project.
Adeniyi also seats on the Board of a US Medical Foundation, The Xanderena Foundation, where she is the Operations Manager for all the outreaches in Nigeria.
She officially joined Soroptimist International Lagos Mainland (SILM) in 2014.
