By Emma Okereh
Eya Essif, the Secretary General of United Towns Agency for North South Cooperation (UTA), a United Nations (UN) accredited Non-Governmental Organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland was recently honoured by her home country, Tunisia.
A press statement by the Country-President of UTA-Nigeria, Princess Abigail Amalaha, stated that the Secretary-General of UTA, Ms Eya Essif who is also the Vice President of Arab Women’s Media Network was honoured alongside prominent Tunisian women as part of the country’s 10th Session of “Tunis Entrepreneurship” at the City of Culture in Tunis.
The event which took place on the 22nd and 23rd of February was meant to appreciate the contributions of Tunisian Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves both locally and internationally.
According to the organisers, the honour was as a result of the achievements of the awardees, valuing their experiences, strengthening networking with them and interventions that highlight the importance of women’s position as an active element in economic and social development of the country.
They further stated that Ms Essif was recognized also because of her leadership role at the international level and equally using her position as the Secretary General of UTA in impacting on the lives of women and less privileged in the country.
In her response to the honour, Ms Essif expressed her happiness for the award which she called National Coronation, and a badge of honour and interest from the Tunisian Government in appreciation of the efforts of women in nation building in the country.
She called on the young entrepreneurs through her message which she christened, “Message of Hope”, that as “Engineers of Tomorrow’s Tunisia” they should be more determined and work on developing capabilities to turn challenges to opportunities. They should also take into account the “opportunities of the crisis”, as all crises create opportunities for success, so that their field of vision must be developed in order to create the best opportunities for them.
