Emem Thomas is the CEO of Dragon Squad Limited, a security company that uses plus-size women as security operatives and bouncers at events.
When someone accused her of being a lesbian because she employs only plus-size female bouncers, she laughed it off.
Thomas said it is sad that when people see women who care too much about themselves, such women are called lesbians.
“A woman’s lifestyle has nothing to do with her job and how well she does it. What matters most is how disciplined and hardworking her employees are and not how they live their personal lives.”
Based in Akwa Ibom State, Thomas revealed that she employs plus-size women because most people believe that such women are lazy and unattractive.
She added that she loves the fact that she has been able to get financial opportunities for them so that the negative narratives surrounding their body size will change.
“Doing this job also makes these women increase their self-worth. I just want to use my company to show people that plus-size women are elegant, hardworking, beautiful and smart.”
Thomas, a graduate of Biochemistry from Cross River University of Science and Technology said she left the University in 2014.
Emem Thomas started her company with seven ladies as bouncers but now, the number has increased. “When someone tells me no, it doesn’t mean the end of my dream. I don’t give up. When I am rejected, I fight harder to get more jobs. I am a single mother of two boys who I have to provide food, education and shelter for. I don’t allow rejection to weigh me down.”
Thomas told Saturday Sun that the major challenge she faces is convincing clients that her company is up to the task of providing security at events. She said that she has to talk a lot to convince clients to trust her with their security.
She said: “Some men tell me that their wives won’t be comfortable with us providing security for their events. Some of them say that their wives might claim they have brought their girlfriends to their events. Sometimes, I demand for their wives’ numbers so that I can convince these women myself but they don’t agree. I have lost many jobs because of that.”
According to Emem Thomas, another challenge she faces is that some men don’t like the idea of women providing security for them at their events. “These men say that women are not strong enough to do the job and some of them want her employees to attend their event as mere decoration.”
The mother of two revealed that another challenge she faces is dealing with community guys who feel like they are intruding on their territory when she has to provide security at events in their communities. However, she added that because she has experience on the job, she uses some tricks to calm them down.
Emem Thomas said that she doesn’t have a labelled age limit while employing female bouncers. According to her, she looks out for their strength and their ability to work under pressure.
She stated that if an employee is always tired or not feeling well, she would advise the person to go for a medical check up and treat herself.
She said she supports them when necessary but quickly added that she doesn’t have anyone who is above 50 years working with her now.
A plus-size woman herself, Emem Thomas said she doesn’t just employ these ladies but also gives them classroom training based on her own training.
She teaches them self-defence skills, how to use security gadgets and self-composure skills. “I teach them how to handle conflicts. Most of the training they get is on the field because that is where the main work is. They also know basic first aid training.”
