Women Leaders Support Advancement (WLSA) has commended the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, for her unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment, social inclusion, and humanitarian development in Nigeria and globally.
The commendation followed a high level engagement at the United Nations House in New York, where the UN Deputy Secretary-General received the Founder of WLSA, Deborah Jan Hornecker, alongside members of the organisation and its diaspora leadership.
During the meeting, Amina Mohammed acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts in advancing support for women, particularly the vulnerable and underserved, while applauding WLSA’s grassroots driven initiatives focused on empowering women within local communities.
She encouraged the organisation to sustain its humanitarian interventions, stressing that inclusive social and economic opportunities for women remain critical to national and global development.
Describing WLSA’s work as timely and impactful, the UN Deputy Secretary-General urged continued advocacy and action to uplift women who desire and deserve improved livelihoods and dignity.
In her response, Deborah Jan Hornecker, speaking on behalf of WLSA and partner organisations including DEFAUYA Women Foundation, Ramat Foundation, and Chayah Hope Foundation expressed profound appreciation for Amina Mohammed’s moral leadership, motherly guidance, and consistent support for women centred initiatives.
She reaffirmed WLSA’s commitment to advancing the welfare of disadvantaged Nigerian women, emphasising that grassroots empowerment remains central to the organisation’s mission.
Further aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and humanitarian action, WLSA also participated in an economic summit held at the Nigerian House in New York.
In a keynote presentation titled “Women at the Center of Global Progress: Leadership, Inclusion, and Collective Responsibility,” Hornecker underscored the urgent need for robust global support systems for vulnerable women.
She described WLSA as a purpose driven movement bridging advocacy and opportunity from grassroots women entrepreneurs to Nigerian women excelling in global institutions ensuring that women at all levels are recognised, supported, and strengthened.
According to her, empowering women and youths is fundamental to stabilising societies and strengthening economies. She added that real life humanitarian encounters, including widows supporting large families, abandoned patients, and unsupported new mothers, continue to inspire WLSA’s compassionate interventions.
Hornecker also called on Nigerian women in the diaspora to actively contribute to community development at home, while urging leaders at all levels to embrace servant leadership rooted in humanity and compassion.
She concluded by emphasising that women are not peripheral to progress but central to it, noting that resilient, inclusive, and prosperous nations are built when women lead and are adequately supported.