When Ekiti women celebrated many firsts at International Women’s Day
Sam Nwaoko reports the celebration of International Women’s Day 2015 in
Ekiti State by the womenfolk in which they highlighted the firsts of the
Ayo Fayose administration in its five months.
The women of Ekiti State had gathered in their hundreds at the Government House grounds to celebrate the International Women’s Day 2015. It was a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate the womenfolk globally, and Ekiti women made the best of the day by gathering and, apart from celebrating themselves, also celebrated those among them who have attained commendable heights in their various callings in life. The day is also an annual event that celebrates women’s accomplishments and promotes gender equality.
On the day, the women came in their different states. Some of them came with their pregnancies; those with multiple births came with their children. The elderly, women artisans, traders and women professionals also came. There were members of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ); International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA); National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS); Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and many other women groups.
The event, which was organised by the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office, also saw the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, distribute kits to trained traditional birth attendants just as those among the women with multiple births receive cash gifts.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Princess Adekunbi Obaisi, in her address, announced that the theme of the 2015 event was “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity – Picture It” and added that the domesticated theme for the state was “Make it Happen.”
Mrs Obaisi explained that the theme was “aimed at encouraging effective action for advancing and recognising women” and “it focuses on women in different professionals sectors, the arts, female-owned businesses, in senior leadership roles and all aspects of working environment where gender parity has still not been achieved.” The Permanent Secretary noted that the 2015 celebration and its theme also encourage the recognition of women in the work place, the safety of women in the street and in their homes and the power of choice over their own bodies and their own lives.”
Obaisi noted that in Ekiti State, “the government has put empowerment of women as one of its critical cardinal points acknowledging the fact that when you empower women, you have empowered humanity.” Flowing from Mrs. Obaisi’s lead, speaker after speaker, in their goodwill messages, highlighted the prime role of women and the fact that the young government of Mr. Ayo Fayose has already set a record with some of his decisions. This is even as they say they expect more women in key positions when the state’s executive council is fully constituted.
Among the highs of the Ayo Fayose government the women celebrated are the appointment of Dr Modupe Alade as the Secretary to the State Government, the first woman to occupy the office in the state; and the fielding of two women out of the three candidates for the Senate, in Ekiti State in the 2015 elections. Some of them contend that Ekiti might be the only state in Nigeria to have given the womenfolk such opportunity, including the election of the first female chairman for the state’s Sports Council. Mrs Fatimat Raji-Rasaki and Mrs Abiodun Olujimi are gunning to represent Ekiti Central and Ekiti South respectively in the Senate.
Mrs. Fayose said on the occasion that it was plausible to hold that her husband’s government had achieved a lot so far in respect of women development and decision making and therefore commended the administration “for giving women room to be heard and being fairly treated.” She noted that this year’s celebration is revisiting the Declaration and Platform of Action, “a historic document signed by 189 governments (including Nigeria) 20 years ago aptly described as “Beijing Declaration”. She said “it provided a clear framework and agenda for realising women’s rights” and added that “the Platform of Action focuses on 12 critical areas of concern: Women and poverty; education and training of women; women and health; violence against women; women and armed conflict; women and economy; women in power and decision making; institutional mechanism for the advancement of women; human rights of women; women and the media; women and environment and the girl child.”
Amid the revelry and conviviality, there was a speech by a health personnel, Mrs O.A. Akinleye, who advised the women on the advantages of child spacing and family planning. She dismissed various negative myths held by some people on the implications of family planning and hinted that each woman that wants to do family planning would be tested to know which type was best for her.
There were also goodwill messages from the NLC, NAWOJ, FIDA, and the state’s office of the MDGs, among others. The Chief of Staff to the Governor and Chairman, MDGs State Implementation Committee, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, revealed that Mrs Fayose initiated the production of 9,000 units of ante-natal kits christened “Mama Kit” which were launched and distributed free to pregnant women and other women of child-bearing age. Anisulowo said the project, which cost N40.8 million was financed by Ekiti State MDGs Office and explained that “the kits contain essential delivery items” and will encourage our pregnant women to patronise our health facilities thereby reducing child and maternal deaths in the state.” The MDGs chairman also said the kits would “reduce the spread of contagious diseases often associated with poor/crude delivery tools among others.”
NAWOJ, in its message delivered by its chairman in the state, Mrs Oluwayomi Osuntokun, charged the various women groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on “Make it Happen”, the local theme for the 2015 celebration. It said “how do you make gender-equality happen? How can you make that achievable? We as a body have begun a programme to ensure gender balance in science subjects in schools. We should think about this and fashion out ways to make gender equality happen in our various individual groups and NGOs so that next year, when we come, we would’ve had results and move from there.”
A stakeholder on the occasion noted that “the challenge of NAWOJ and other groups, expectedly, will form the part of next year’s celebration, God-willing and by then the event would further gauge the successes achieved by the womenfolk in Ekiti State.” Mothers of quadruplets, triplets, twins and singletons went home with special gifts on the occasion.
The women of Ekiti State had gathered in their hundreds at the Government House grounds to celebrate the International Women’s Day 2015. It was a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate the womenfolk globally, and Ekiti women made the best of the day by gathering and, apart from celebrating themselves, also celebrated those among them who have attained commendable heights in their various callings in life. The day is also an annual event that celebrates women’s accomplishments and promotes gender equality.
On the day, the women came in their different states. Some of them came with their pregnancies; those with multiple births came with their children. The elderly, women artisans, traders and women professionals also came. There were members of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ); International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA); National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS); Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and many other women groups.
The event, which was organised by the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office, also saw the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, distribute kits to trained traditional birth attendants just as those among the women with multiple births receive cash gifts.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Princess Adekunbi Obaisi, in her address, announced that the theme of the 2015 event was “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity – Picture It” and added that the domesticated theme for the state was “Make it Happen.”
Mrs Obaisi explained that the theme was “aimed at encouraging effective action for advancing and recognising women” and “it focuses on women in different professionals sectors, the arts, female-owned businesses, in senior leadership roles and all aspects of working environment where gender parity has still not been achieved.” The Permanent Secretary noted that the 2015 celebration and its theme also encourage the recognition of women in the work place, the safety of women in the street and in their homes and the power of choice over their own bodies and their own lives.”
Obaisi noted that in Ekiti State, “the government has put empowerment of women as one of its critical cardinal points acknowledging the fact that when you empower women, you have empowered humanity.” Flowing from Mrs. Obaisi’s lead, speaker after speaker, in their goodwill messages, highlighted the prime role of women and the fact that the young government of Mr. Ayo Fayose has already set a record with some of his decisions. This is even as they say they expect more women in key positions when the state’s executive council is fully constituted.
Among the highs of the Ayo Fayose government the women celebrated are the appointment of Dr Modupe Alade as the Secretary to the State Government, the first woman to occupy the office in the state; and the fielding of two women out of the three candidates for the Senate, in Ekiti State in the 2015 elections. Some of them contend that Ekiti might be the only state in Nigeria to have given the womenfolk such opportunity, including the election of the first female chairman for the state’s Sports Council. Mrs Fatimat Raji-Rasaki and Mrs Abiodun Olujimi are gunning to represent Ekiti Central and Ekiti South respectively in the Senate.
Mrs. Fayose said on the occasion that it was plausible to hold that her husband’s government had achieved a lot so far in respect of women development and decision making and therefore commended the administration “for giving women room to be heard and being fairly treated.” She noted that this year’s celebration is revisiting the Declaration and Platform of Action, “a historic document signed by 189 governments (including Nigeria) 20 years ago aptly described as “Beijing Declaration”. She said “it provided a clear framework and agenda for realising women’s rights” and added that “the Platform of Action focuses on 12 critical areas of concern: Women and poverty; education and training of women; women and health; violence against women; women and armed conflict; women and economy; women in power and decision making; institutional mechanism for the advancement of women; human rights of women; women and the media; women and environment and the girl child.”
Amid the revelry and conviviality, there was a speech by a health personnel, Mrs O.A. Akinleye, who advised the women on the advantages of child spacing and family planning. She dismissed various negative myths held by some people on the implications of family planning and hinted that each woman that wants to do family planning would be tested to know which type was best for her.
There were also goodwill messages from the NLC, NAWOJ, FIDA, and the state’s office of the MDGs, among others. The Chief of Staff to the Governor and Chairman, MDGs State Implementation Committee, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, revealed that Mrs Fayose initiated the production of 9,000 units of ante-natal kits christened “Mama Kit” which were launched and distributed free to pregnant women and other women of child-bearing age. Anisulowo said the project, which cost N40.8 million was financed by Ekiti State MDGs Office and explained that “the kits contain essential delivery items” and will encourage our pregnant women to patronise our health facilities thereby reducing child and maternal deaths in the state.” The MDGs chairman also said the kits would “reduce the spread of contagious diseases often associated with poor/crude delivery tools among others.”
NAWOJ, in its message delivered by its chairman in the state, Mrs Oluwayomi Osuntokun, charged the various women groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on “Make it Happen”, the local theme for the 2015 celebration. It said “how do you make gender-equality happen? How can you make that achievable? We as a body have begun a programme to ensure gender balance in science subjects in schools. We should think about this and fashion out ways to make gender equality happen in our various individual groups and NGOs so that next year, when we come, we would’ve had results and move from there.”
A stakeholder on the occasion noted that “the challenge of NAWOJ and other groups, expectedly, will form the part of next year’s celebration, God-willing and by then the event would further gauge the successes achieved by the womenfolk in Ekiti State.” Mothers of quadruplets, triplets, twins and singletons went home with special gifts on the occasion.
No comments:
Post a Comment