Our #BNSCONVOS has been nothing short of amazing this year, if you have been following the BellaNaija Style Women’s Month campaigns, you can agree that each session has been a build-up to how amazing the next session one will be.

Powered by NIVEA, our 4th episode saw three (3) fabulous women flourishing in their diverse fields join BellaNaija Style to discuss “Redefining Beauty: Empowering Women Through Self-Care & Inclusivity“, hosted by the amazing Motunde Ibironke. Hit the ▶ button below to watch:

The session featured a liberating candid conversation between the host and our guests:

(1)Mitchel Ugochi Ukachukwu — Miss Universe Nigeria, the 1st and only beauty queen in Nigeria’s history to clinch both titles of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and Miss Universe Nigeria; (2) Zainab Balogun — a British-Nigerian Actress, TV Host, and the Executive Producer at ZABA Productions; and (3) Mojibade Sosanya who has built an impressive career as a corporate communications executive, event host, TV presenter, and public speaker.

When Motunde asked, “How has self-care and self-love played a role in your advocacy effort and how has it helped you own your narrative?”

… I shared my story because I didn’t want another woman to find it hard to get access to this information. In sharing my story I have been able to build a community of women who can identify with this pain and now know what to do.

Self care became important for me, owning my narrative became a form of self-care because I wasn’t allowing the world determine what I can share and what I can’t share. Self-care doesn’t have to be just going for beauty maintenance, it can also be you taking a moment to be still.

— Zainab Balogun

When Motunde asked Mojibade about her techniques for building confidence and finding her unique balance after pivoting career paths amidst a busy schedule, her response revealed a strong mentality routed in self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-love.

First of all building confidence and finding balance requires work. I am big on preparation and in a male-dominated industry, I’ve gotten to the place where I know that I’m bringing value on board and I’ve gotten past the phase where it feels like I’m not good enough because people don’t acknowledge that I’m as good as my male counterpart.

I’ve gotten to the place where I am really confident in myself because for the client to choose me they believe I have value to offer. I also love myself and don’t compare myself. While there is room for improvement and personal development, I’m not going to change who I am.

I prepare to go on stage with the 3 Rs: I read, research and rehearse. This helps me to go on stage and shine in my uniqueness.

— Mojibade Sosanya

When asked about her perspective on navigating her industry’s pressure and staying true to oneself and values, Mitchel shared as follows:

In keeping true to one’s self and values, the first thing is to understand what those words mean to you and once you have a clear definition of what self-confidence and self-expression mean to you then you’re on the right path of keeping true to your values because then you know what those values are.

It’s not easy because there is a lot of pressure to be perfect, to look a certain way, to do things a certain way to appear in certain places and it’s not easy to keep up with these things and that is why your foundation has to be strong so that you can set boundaries. People often externalise boundaries but it’s also important to set boundaries for yourself:

what are the things you can’t compromise on? What are the things I can’t let go of? Once you’re able to build this foundation, it helps you stay true to yourself and then you don’t easily succumb to the pressure… Having a great support system and the right people around you also helps.

— Mitchel (Nee Ihezue) Ukachukwu

Watch the second part of the conversation, hit the ▶ button below:

How can women embrace their unique identities in their fields and industries and also redefine beauty for themselves?

There is strength in knowing that everything that makes me who I am is ammunition, it’s power on its own, there is no other person like me. It doesn’t matter where I am, I know that I can buy a certain level of credibility with my uniqueness and I have to celebrate that.

I want to encourage women to have a sense of self awareness like no other. Be able to tell yourself what is true, what is fabricated and what is a lie.

— Zainab Balogun

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The digital world has penetrated more into society and it has stolen the opportunity to paint your life in the direction that you want without looking at anything that has been curated. It’s not a bad thing to have mentors and people that you look up to, however, you can get lost if you don’t have your own sense of individuality.

It is important to be able to differentiate between real life and social media; and have a strong foundation to enable you not to get carried away by the buzz.

— Mitchel Ukachukwu

When asked how people can celebrate diversity and inclusivity within the concept of womanhood pulling from her recent viral interview on stereotypes against women and marriage, Mojibade Sosanya responded:

I am a single woman over 3o and I am not ashamed of it. I am single yet I am complete, highlighting the fact that there is no shame in singleness and there is no shame in desiring to be married.

I want to be married but I am not yet married and I am not going to put my life on hold until that happens, I am going to live my life to the fullest and I always preach this to every young female that I speak to wherever I go. I am happy to live my life to the fullest until marriage comes.

It is a completely horrible mindset to stereotype women that are not married and we must fight it. You can be 40 yet happy and single, singleness is not a condition, you are just unmarried and that is what it is. It doesn’t make you lesser than anyone who has gotten married and who gave us these timelines?

I need us to build a better society where women can live to their full potential whether they are married or not. A society without pressure and just letting people be and allowing them to breathe. Whatever phase you are in, allow yourself to breathe and bask in the beauty of that phase.

I am single, I am happy, I am thriving…

Learn more about our speakers here.

Watch the full interview for more inspiration and join us this Saturday at 5 PM WAT on @bellanaijastyle‘s Instagram LIVE for the final episode of #BNSCONVOS during the 5th edition of our Women’s Month celebration.

See You There!