Rebecca Godwin-Isaac, Chief Executive Officer of Homadil Realty Ltd. has urged Nigerian women to shun jealousy, envy, and entitlement mentality, warning that such sentiments hinder collective progress and individual growth.
Speaking as a keynote guest at the International Women Power Conference 2024 in Abuja, themed “The Resilient Woman,” Mrs Godwin-Isaac identified jealousy, envy as retrogressive attributes capable of retarding progress of women.
She said: “Envy, though quieter, is just as dangerous. It grows in the shadows, as we compare ourselves to others feeling inadequate in the face of their achievements.
“Envy is the name of confidence, it makes us to question our worth, blinding us to our own strengths and what we have to offer.
“Jealousy creeps in when we see others succeed and feel that their victory somehow diminishes our worth, we feel threatened instead of inspired.
“But Jealousy is a thief – it steals our focus, our energy, and our potential to uplift one another,” she added.
The Homadil CEO who vehemently condemned all emotional traps like, jealousy, envy and entitlement mentality, said that they are subtle destroyers.
According to her, they divide us, weaken our bonds as women, and distract us from the real work of building each other.
Mrs Godwin-Isaac emphasized on the imperatives of embracing resilience by all women in order not to only confront the forces of retrogression but surmount all challenges on their road to greatness.
She said: “To be truly resilient, we must confront these forces within ourselves and choose a path of unity, support and mutual empowerment.”
Mrs Godwin-Isaac, who defined resilience as the ability to bounce back from difficulties, urged women to see it as a power to rise above sentiments, to adapt, to grow, to thrive, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
She explained further that resilience is the inner force that could enable women to confront life’s most daunting obstacles with amazing courage and grace.
“As CEO of Homadil Reality, Ltd, and founder of multiple enterprises, I know firsthand the hurdles we face as women in leadership.
“I have battled stereotypes, overcome obstacles and continuously proven that women deserve a seat at every table.
“But like many of you, I have learned that resilience is the key to survival – and, more importantly, to success.”
She, however, lauded women’s doggedness and resilience in the patriarchal world.
Mrs Godwin-Isaac said: “Through my work with the Girl Yesterday, The Woman Today, I have witnessed the incredible resilience of young women who against all odds, have risen to become leaders, innovators, and change-makers. Their stories are not just tales of survival; they are stories of transformation and hope.’
She paid tributes to accomplished women like Margaret Ekpo, Ladi Kwali, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti etc in the past whose resilience and brilliance catapulted them to stardom.
