3 Gender lessons we learnt from the Interview of First Female in the Field of Aquatic Veterinary Med
Prof. Olanike Adeyemo (46) is the First female doctor in the field of Aquatic Veterinary Medicine in Nigeria , she is also the first deputy vice-chancellor in Research , innovation and Strategic Partnerships , University of Ibadan. She was recently interviewed by Olufemi Atoyebi on the Effect of Environmental Pollution and Climate Change, this was an articulate discussion on what should be done to curtail the effects. However my ever- searching eyes could not overlook the gender lessons she gave during her interview as the topic read ' I and My husband share house chores'. Here are some gender lessons from her interview
1. When asked " how did you make it so far?'; She replied it took determination. I partly started this course because i was challenged by my uncle who thought veterinary medicine would be a hard course for me to tackle.Though culturally, women are meant to be heard and not seen and are good enough to be teachers and nurses relegated to the backgrounds , however your determination and vision stands you out as a woman. Lesson 1: You can be who you want to be irrespective of people or societal norms
2. When asked 'How do you manage marriage and work?' She replied, i have a supportive spouse, in my house we do not have gender assigned roles, He does feminine chores and i do masculine chores too. I love to do them and so does he. Lesson 2 : Men be supportive of your wives, stop making her feel inferior in her own home, as you love and support her, you also train daughters and sons, who grow up to understand and appreciate gender equality.
3. When asked 'how have you managed to dominate in a male dominated field? She replied , Great attitude and character bypasses gender hurdles, some men respect the fact that for a woman to come this far, she must have earned it, others might think otherwise but it does not bother me. She further stated that she is really not that much of a feminine person , though she is aware of the gender differences , she rarely allows it affect her . She treats people according to their individual merits , not because you are a man or a woman. Lesson 3: Are you still battling with gender differences? Then think again, gender differences should not limit you from achieving your goals, embrace the your strengths and shun any limitations.
To learn more about her interview visit ; ift.tt/2scSCYN
