Prof. Oduwole Advocates for Enhanced Workplace Safety and Gender Equality at SSUCOEN Lecture

Prof. Ebunoluwa Oduwole, Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), has called on staff unions to transition from passive negotiators into active enforcers of women’s safety and rights within the workplace.

Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 International Women’s Day workshop organized by the Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo branch, Prof. Oduwole highlighted the persistent gap between Nigeria’s legal frameworks and the lived realities of women in professional environments.

Speaking on the theme "Rights, Justice and Actions for Women’s Safety at the Workplace," Prof. Oduwole noted that while the 1999 Constitution and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 provide robust protections, implementation remains a challenge.

Underrepresentation: Women continue to face "covert and unfair discrimination" and remain significantly underrepresented in institutional leadership.

Safety Beyond Physicality: She emphasized that workplace safety must encompass psychological and emotional well-being to ensure optimal employee performance and institutional integrity.

Prof. Oduwole challenged SSUCOEN to move beyond welfare discussions and take a frontline role in:

Monitoring and Accountability: Actively documenting violations and holding management accountable to gender-sensitive policies.

Confidential Reporting: Establishing secure systems for reporting abuse to protect vulnerable members from stigmatization or retaliation.

Policy Reform: Driving reforms in recruitment and promotion processes to eliminate gender bias.

Drawing on ethical frameworks, the Vice-Chancellor argued that protecting women is a fundamental "indicator of institutional integrity." She urged attendees to treat the workshop as a turning point, moving from mere intention to the concrete implementation of safeguards.

The event featured a distinguished guest list, including Senator Mosurat Sunmonu, former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly; Dr. Nihinlola Dosumu, Rector of the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo; and Mrs. Olubunmi Asunmo, Registrar of Emmanuel Alayande University of Education.