The BBC has unveiled its 100 women 2016 list, which it says is intended to celebrate inspirational and influential women from across the world. Two Nigerians, Funke-Bucknor Obruthe and Omotade Alalade are included on the list, which also has such international celebrities as Alicia Keys and Simone Biles on it.
The announcement by the BBC of its list of notable marks the beginning of its women season, a period of three weeks in which it will be delivering broadcasts, online special reports, programs, debates, and journalism that focus on the experiences, travails and triumphs of women around the world.
Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, one of the two Nigerians on the BBC’s list, is an events planner known for her handling of celebrity weddings in Nigeria- events which usually have thousands in attendance. Omotade Alalade founded the BeiBei Haven Foundation, a non-profit foundation which supports women struggling with infertility, and provides free fertility treatment for low income earners.
Apart from the two Nigerians named, fourteen other Africans also feature on the list, including Zimbabwean novelist Paula Hawkins, Ugandan-born UK banker and economist Shriti Vadera, Swaziland Bishop Ellinah Ntombi, and South African writer and campaigner Zoleka Mandela.
The 100 Women season is now in its fourth year; Fiona Crack, Editor of 100 Women, said that the BBC was proud of the platform it has given many inspirational women, “to highlight the challenges, opportunities and experiences of women across the world”.