The organiser of the She, Legacy, Girls Empowerment Summit, Olayinka Ajane Hajibade, popularly known as Omid Olayinka, has urged parents to build strong friendships with their daughters to enable them speak freely about challenges confronting them.
Olayinka gave the advice during the first physical edition of the empowerment programme, organised for 105 girls between the ages of 10 and 17.
She said the summit was designed to educate, empower and enlighten young girls, while equipping them with the confidence to make informed decisions, protect themselves and speak up whenever they encounter danger or wrongdoing.
According to her, the programme seeks to raise a generation of girls who are confident to use their voices, courageous enough to stand up for themselves and others, and prepared to pursue their dreams.
She said, “We want them to know that they can build whatever they set their mind to become. We want them to know that they can speak up when they are in danger and always have a trusted adult they can rely on in times of need.”
Olayinka noted that many girls were still being made to feel inadequate by society, stressing that the summit was aimed at helping them recognise their worth and understand that their voices matter.
She explained that although the organisation had previously reached families, mothers and children through a weekly women’s programme on Diamond 88.7 FM, the summit marked its first major physical engagement with girls.
The organiser said the choice of participants between 10 and 17 years was deliberate, as girls within the age bracket were considered capable of understanding discussions on health, education, personal safety and other issues affecting their development.
She, however, disclosed that plans were underway to organise another edition for younger children between the ages of five and nine.
Olayinka also called on parents to avoid creating an atmosphere of fear at home, warning that children who see their parents as threats may find it difficult to open up when they are facing problems.
She urged parents to listen more to their daughters and create an environment where they could freely discuss their concerns.

     “Let them be best friends so that the girls are able to open up whenever they are facing challenges or need to speak up. These girls are facing a lot in this generation, and we cannot lie about that,” she said.

She stressed that effective communication between parents and children remained essential to helping young girls navigate the challenges of growing up and make safer and better-informed choices.