- I woke up this morning and I thought,
"What do you wear when you're the moderator of a panel
"and have a fashion designer on?"
And I went for the blanket, my Jewish
grandmother would call this a shmatta.
So, I'm gonna bring our next speaker on who is going to
wow you with her extraordinary story.
- Hi.
Ladies and gentlemen,
my name is Bisola Akinmuyiwa
from Lagos, Nigeria.
Lagos in the biggest city in Africa,
with 23 millions of people
hustling to make a living.
I was born and brought up in Itu Agan community
one of hundred of informal settlement
in the city.
I was born into a polygamous family
with two wifes and eleven children.
I'm sixth child of the family.
I lost my mom at the age of 17 years old.
A week later, my dad lost his second wife.
Things became difficult for me and my younger siblings.
The responsibility became much for my dad to handle.
A year after the death of my mom,
I finished my secondary school.
I had a dream to become a lawyer.
My dad wanted to help me,
but he asked me to wait
for my single brother to finish his study.
I waited three years after
my single brother finished his study.
My dad lost his job.
He told me my daughter you have to sponsor yourself
in order for you to continue with your education.
I began to lost hope.
Asked myself, where is my hope.
Some months later my dad introduced me to Mr. Sani
who worked as a community paralegal
in Itu Agan community.
As a member of Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation
a movement of urban poor for dignity and development,
I was able to access free community paralegal training.
At the end of six month training,
I started to coming to presentation
by educating people on their rights
and right of free legal services.
As I enjoy what I'm doing but
I face a lot of challenges.
Each time I went to police station to help my clients,
those police decide to call me small girl.
They used to tell me "You leave, small girl.
"Instead of you being in school learning biology
"or economics, you are here working as a paralegal."
Each time they say things like this, it hurts me.
I want argue.
I do conclude that my manage.
They are trying to intimidate me.
So I refuse to be intimidated.
As my work and my experience grew,
I was choosing to join the special team.
Paralegals working at Mobile Court.
A court to set up to make money from the urban poor,
by seizing negros and impose a fine on them.
People who are making their living through street trading
hawking, (foreign terms).
This is the most challenges work which we paralegals do
because we face hostility
from the cost of base recruitors defense lawyer
everyone who are making money from the urban poor.
One day me and my fellow paralegal Jamiu,
went to Mobile Court.
we sat down taking note on what our clients was saying
one of the prosecutors walk closer to us
and ask us to follow him.
We went straight to Mobile Court coordinator office.
We introduced ourself as a community paralegal.
We present our ID card as an evidence to prove.
The coordinator asked us to prove beyond that
we asked him to call the director of JEI,
Justice and Empowerment Initiative.
Immediately he looked straight into my eyes and tell me,
"I can't call.
"Looking at you I know that you guys are lying
"because you are too small
"to be a paralegal.
"You're supposed to be in school by now
"Learning or learn vocational skills."
Immediately say that
I got fire and I was like "What is this man saying?"
I also raised my voice
and shout at him
"What did you mean?
"Did you mean I'm too small to work as a community paralegal
"or did you mean I'm too small to advocate for the poor?"
And I asked him in which section of Nigerian Constitution
states they that a too small girl
can't be what he-- what she wants to be.
I expressed myself angrily.
Passed message on where I am and what I'm up to.
He got the message and he calm down.
He called the director of JEI
and he confirmed what we said.
We are able to continue with our work for the day.
I went back to office to give a report on what's happened
at Mobile Court.
Some of my fellow paralegals advised me.
They call you small girl because you cut your hair short
like a school girl.
That make you look small.
Plait your hair and you'd look big.
They will stop calling you small girl.
(laughter)
Immediately I was like yeah they are telling me the truth.
A week later I went home and I plait my hair.
I look at mirror with truth I look big.
But the question is that did I need to plait my hair
before I can present myself as a paralegal?
The answer is no.
So I have to go back home to cut my hair short.
The following day I went to Mobile Courts.
To my greatest surprise
seeing the man who doesn't believe
that I am a paralegal.
Called me "My friend"
with a smile on his face
we exchange greeting and he told me I'm proud of you
because you know what you want.
Immediately I realize beyond any last doubt
that I don't need to plait my hair
or live a fake life
before I can present myself as a paralegal
or because-- before I can achieve my dream.
Find myself at Skoll World Forum 2018
and my hair's short cut.
Still look like a small girl.
(laughter)
It is a privilege and it prove that the path for me
to achieve my dream is to be bald and honest to myself.
I would like to say a very big thank you.
Thank you.
(applause)
- This is--
Two small girls.
(laughing)
So, when we met you told me your story.
Small girl, small girl.
And I think almost any woman in this room
has had a small girl small girl moment.
What is your advice when women face
their version of small girl small girl?
Thank you.
My advice is that
whenever women face a challenges of being called small girl
Don't be intimidated, refuse to be intimidated.
Refuse to accept what they think you are.
Try to present yourself and prove that
I'm not this, I'm this.
Try to show them the true color of who you are.
That's what make it to go a long way
and be also happy to achieve your dreams
Thank you.
- Thank you.
One more question for you.
When we met yesterday, you taught me a phrase: "dia dia."
Can you explain to everyone what that means
and why it's important to you.
- "Dia dia."
- "Dia dai."
- Okay.
Dia dia means--
is it diadia or tu tu.
(laughs)
Dia dia means slow and steady.
Yeah, when I says dia dia it mean slow and steady
and for someone to be able to achieve his or her dream
you have to take this thing slow and steady.
In order for you to get what you want
and get a perfect result of what you are trying to get.
So slow and steady, dia dia.
- Perfect.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
(applause)