Today is the International Day of the Girl. This year’s theme is My Voice: Our Equal Future. We are a generation of women who would not cower in silence or hide our faces in shame. We are a generation of women who do not accept the status quo. We question the things we do not understand and challenge the things we do not accept.

This is your time!. Enough of letting your displeasures or discontentments go unheard. Enough of the silence. It is time for you to speak. It’s time for you to be heard. Talk. Speak up. Roar like the lioness you are.

There is so much you can change by sharing your ideas, thoughts and opinions. There is so much we can gain by listening to you. You have a lot to offer. You have a lot to give. You also have a lot to achieve.

Stop hiding in the shadows or retreating behind the scenes. Stop fading into the background or avoiding the stage. Stop sitting out the dances or running from the field. Step into the light, hold your head high, walk up to the stand and speak into the mic. Let the world hear the greatness in you. Let the world hear what wealth of knowledge you’ve been able to amass.

My name is Roseline Adewuyi and together we will achieve the equal future we desire.