Adefunke Sharon Kasali - October 2020 Articles

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING GIRLS’ EDUCATION ON A GLOBAL LEVEL

Over the last fifty years, internationalorganizations such as NGOs have madeconsiderable strides in creating a betterworld for women and girls. Initiatives toimprove all aspects of womanhoodhave launched with resoundingsuccess, aimed at balancing outexisting gender disparity.

One of the main ways to improve the lives of women and girls is through education. In many nations, girls’ access to education is still restricted due to longstanding cultural traditions that dictate different opportunities for males and females.

Social science has long established the fact that education is empowerment. In addition to increasing the job skills and economic prospects of girls who receive education, it also opens up new avenues for development and growth that were previously shut off. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power.”

Many of the issues that continue to plague girls and women can be eliminated or effectively reduced as greater education levels are afforded to girls. Women who find empowerment through education experience decreased poverty rates than girls who were not fortunate enough to receive schooling.

Despite the progress achieved in equalizing genders, women remain underrepresented in government, even in relatively advanced countries.

When minority groups such as women have unsatisfactory representation levels, we can expect to see unfair policies and laws that disproportionately and negatively impact women.

Higher participation by women in the workforce and political life is a proven way to redress grievances that would go unattended under a purely patriarchal government. Women have the power to set new standards and change the world, no matter where they’re from!

Empowering women through education has a ripple effect throughout societies and economies, which produces tangible benefits for the entire population. For everyone involved, including boys and men, this represents growth, progress, and hope for the future.

HOW TO FIND SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS AS A PROFESSIONAL

One of the difficult lessons many people learn in life is that success is not necessarily a key to happiness. Some studies have found that joy might come before success, meaning that happier people are more likely to be successful as well. However, practical steps can also improve a person’s chances of both happiness and success.

One study found that people who are happy at 18 tend to be happy and financially secure in their mid-20s. Working hard through the first two decades of a career can give people the skills, connection, and experience to thrive in middle age. However, people should not pursue goals and jobs to please others. It can be easier to manage setbacks on a career path that a person has chosen instead of one chosen by others. People should also avoid comparing themselves to others. There will always be someone who is doing better.

People should try to choose something that they are skilled at, but they should also be open to new challenges. Risk-taking is essential, and failure can teach important lessons. Instead of seeing everything as a competition and having genuine gratitude for the good things in life, helping others can keep both success and failure in perspective.

Striving for success is not always easy, and there may be sacrifices along the way. This could include being ruthless about cutting out wasteful activities, such as playing too many video games or spending time with negative people. The latter can increase negativity, which, in turn, can hamper success.

However, this does not mean that people who undergo hardship are doomed to be unsuccessful. Furthermore, encouraging happiness among staff is not demanding that people behave as though they are happy. Instead, creating a climate in which people can express appreciation and give to others is much more likely to increase positive attitudes.

The best way to achieve both success and happiness is to understand that the two are entwined rather than assuming that one will naturally lead to the other. A person striving for success must be striving after something genuinely desired, and the positive emotions that drive the victory must be sincere ones.

ABOUT ADEFUNKE SHARON KASALI

Adefunke Sharon Kasali is a Nigeria-based business executive andpastor. Having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration(Accounting) at Texas Southern University, and an MBA in Financeand Management Information Systems at the University ofHouston, Sharon has used her experiences to build up a strongprofessional foundation. She has previously worked for theMetropolitan Transit Authority, Arthur Anderson & Co., andExxonMobil. Most recently, she was the Deputy Director in chargeof Audit at the Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe Joint DevelopmentAuthority and the Executive Secretary and CEO of the PetroleumEqualisation Fund (Management) Board. Today, she is the CEO ofRose-Valley Group. Adefunke Sharon Kasali is also a Lead Pastorwith the Foundation of Truth Assembly in Abuja, and hostsMoments with Pastor Funke, a web series.