Renowned philanthropist, legal practitioner and women’s rights activist, Dr. Siju Iluyomade is taking the lead in advocacy for women’s rights and gender inclusion. As the founder of Arise Foundation, she has constantly embarked on various pep projects to bring her passion to fruition.
She has seen firsthand that empowering women and girls can transform the health and prosperity of families, communities and nations. Through her two main initiatives – Arise Women and The Handmaidens Women In Leadership Series (HWIS) – she has become a role model for kindness while simultaneously putting the human capital to push for economic growth.
According to her, “we need to invest in women’s economic development via access to education and skills, which invariably will lead to wealth creation. More focus should be made on the building blocks that transform countries from poverty to prosperity.”
Iluyomade’s interventions illustrate a long-term growth that has contributed to a wide variety of social outcomes such as good leadership, education, healthcare delivery and economic prosperity.
Through her initiatives, she remains focused on creating sustainable communities for the future.
Her pep project, Arise Foundation, has through the Arise Walk for Life, Arise Mobile Clinics, Arise Adopt-A-Village Project, Arise Goes to School Programme, Arise Vaccination Centre, Arise Farmers Foundation, Arise Skills Acquisition Academy, Arise Women’s Conference and Arise Community Insurance Scheme, amongst others, left a positive impact on the lives of beneficiaries.
She has been highly vocal in her advocacy for gender equality and children’s rights in Nigeria. She speaks up for the rights of women and believes that the days of voiceless women are a thing of the past. She holds the view that it is time for women to step forward and take a seat at the decision-making tables.
“There is an urgent need for women to engage in civil society, vote in elections, be elected to government offices, serve on boards, make their voices heard in any process that ultimately affects them, their families and their communities,” she says.
Iluyomade regularly collaborates with the wives of top state functionaries, military service chiefs and other women bodies including the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), International Women Society (IWS) and Market Women Associations in her advocacy. She is also a woman of faith and co-pastors with her husband, Idowu Iluyomade, and they are blessed with children.
