Adekemi Sijuwade is a co-founder of Advocaat Law Practice a full-service commercial law firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja and heads the Corporate Commercial Group at the firm. Educated at Kings College London, she also holds a master’s degree from the University of Southampton, and has been called to the Bar both in Nigeria and the UK where she is a member of Lincoln’s Inn. She started her legal career with the law firm of Strachan Partners; thereafter, she worked as a legal counsellor with the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) in the UK, where she acquired extensive training and experience in immigration law, frequently representing clients before UK immigration adjudicators. It was at IAS that she developed a passion for immigration law and, upon the founding of Advocaat in 2008; she spearheaded the creation of the immigration and labour practice within the firm.
What would you describe as the greatest passion that has brought you this far in your career?
A strong desire and commitment to wanting to see rights protected, whether corporate rights or individual ones.
This year theme for International Women’s Day 2024
Women are usually the backbone of every family yet may not be given the recognition or prominence which they deserve, or which equates to their efforts.The first step towards accelerating progress for women habitually comes with acknowledging and affirming the value of educating for the girl child and then working towards greater representation of women in the workplace, in both public and private sectors. Deliberate action can be taken through the implementation of policies and initiatives designed to improve access to education for the girl child, both in the inner cities and rural areas, as well as those which facilitate greater inclusion of women at the workplace. Consistency in implementing such policies and initiatives is however important.
Your view on “Positive Discrimination Initiatives”
Positive discrimination is the act of providing opportunities to members of a particular group that has been treated unfairly in the past. I think, in instances where there is overwhelming evidence of gender inequality for long periods of time, then such initiatives are both acceptable and justifiable as a means of reversing a trend and encouraging a society or an institution to move in a more positive direction for its own benefit.
Implementation Of The Affirmative In The Country
The National Gender Policy can be said to be a reflection of a commitment in this area, as it is intended to affirm the importance of gender equality. However, as I alluded to before, consistency in the commitment to implementing any such policy, is usually key to its success, whether at national level or institutional level.
High Rates Of Rapes Case And Sexual Abuse On The Girl Child
This kind of increase is unfortunate, and the root causes need to be identified and addressed. Though the negative aspects of social media cannot be denied, we should also keep in mind that it can be used for positive effect – including as an effective tool by law enforcement agencies to combat crime against the girl child.
Advice For The Girl Child And Women In General
I can share some inspiring quotes that I hold on to, which include: the woman you are going to be in a few years is counting on you and the decisions you make today, so calculate the future cost of your current decisions. In essence, my message would be to encourage the girl child to intentionally work towards the woman she wants to be in the future by seizing the opportunities that are available to her today.
