Voice of Women Conference Set to Mark 10th Edition, Returns to Lagos October 6

The Voice of Women (VOW) Conference and Awards will hold its 10th edition on October 6, 2026, in Lagos, marking a decade since Women Radio 91.7FM, under the leadership of Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, launched the platform to centre Nigerian women’s voices in national policy conversations.

Organised by Women Radio in partnership with the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation, VOW brings together over 500 delegates, urban and grassroots women, policymakers, civil society leaders, and development stakeholders, each year, with proceedings broadcast live across television, radio, and digital platforms to an estimated 15 million viewers and listeners nationwide.

The conference was launched in 2016 under the theme “Facing Our Future Together,” focused on women’s economic participation across finance, agriculture, technology, and entertainment. It has since evolved into a platform with sharper policy ambitions. Its 6th edition in 2022, backed by the MacArthur Foundation, carried the theme “Towards Rebuilding Nigeria, An Agenda Setting for an Inclusive and Accountable Nigeria.” By 2024, the conference’s theme, “Achieving Women’s Inclusion for a Sustainable Nigeria,” came directly from grassroots consultations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The 2025 edition, themed “Nigerian Women & The Power of Collective Action,” centred on the Reserved Seats Bill, a proposal to create 74 additional legislative seats reserved for women in a country where female political representation currently sits below 6 per cent. At that edition, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former UN Women Executive Director, reiterates a powerful message to delegates: “Democracy without women is incomplete.” While Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, also pledged legislative backing for the bill during the conference. 

Alongside its policy sessions, VOW hosts an annual awards ceremony recognising women’s contributions across business, politics, health, education, and social activism. Naija Feminists Media was one of the recognised organisations at the 2025 Awards for excellence in inclusive coverage and advocacy.

The 2026 edition returns to Lagos after previous editions were held in Abuja.