The WILLIAMS sisters arrive lagos

The Williams sisters have said that their visit to Lagos, as part of a two-nation tour that will see them play exhibition matches and train kids, was to promote women’s rights.


Their trip is aimed at promoting “the role that women play in shifting perceptions and encouraging development at all levels across the African continent,” said a statement from the Breaking The Mould initiative they are representing.

Serena, 31, and Venus, 32, are to meet the Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, hold a tennis clinic at the Ikoyi Club, visit a puberty education class for girls and play an exhibition match before heading to South Africa on November 2.
“They are coming to Lagos to encourage more women to break moulds that have stood between them and their potentials,” the statement said.
Worldwide, Nigeria ranks 118 out of 134 countries on the Gender Equality Index, a British Council study released in May said.
Always backs Williams Sisters tour
Always, a brand of Procter & Gamble Nigeria, is supporting the visiting Williams Sisters to empower women and young girls to believe in themselves in a bid to achieve their full potential in life.
On 1 November 2012, the duo will partner with feminine hygiene brand Always for a joint girls empowerment event at the Government Secondary School in Osborne, Ikoyi.

Together, Always and the Williams sisters aim to empower girls and inspire them to live their life to the fullest by: stressing the idea of sisterhood and that girls teaming up and supporting each other may achieve great things; teaching young girls the value of hard work, passion, determination and self-belief and leading by best example that neither colour or gender shall be reason enough to hold girls back and keep them from wanting the best in life and succeed.

The William sisters will attend an Always puberty education class and talk to the girls before performing with the schoolgirls the Always song “Little Big Steps” to empower them through a shared singing and dancing experience.
Their visit will also help raise awareness of the Always School Care Programme that has helped empower millions of girls in Nigeria and across the globe by educating them on proper feminine hygiene and puberty over the last 12 years. Last year alone, the programme positively impacted 1.5 million girls across Africa.