International Women’s Day: Take Message Of Gender Equality To Orgs, Churches etc, Women Advised
Nigerian women have been advised to be more committed in seeking eliminaton of all perceived injustice, discrimination, inequality and other obnoxious practices against them by speaking out and echoing the message in their work places, churches etc.
The director in charge of women, Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. (Mrs.) Carmelita Agborubere gave the charge while chatting with news hounds during the just concluded 2020 International Women’s Day Celebration in Port Harcourt.
The event which was organized by the ministry in collaboration with Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre hinged on the rights of women and the situation 25 years after the Beijing Conference and their current challenges.
According to Dr. Agborubere, the International Women’s Day besides offering the opportunity to celebrate women all over the world, is also mainly used to reflect on issues about women, their challenges such as economic and political emancipation, gender imbalance and inequality, sterotypes and discrimination.
Dr. Agborubere regretted that in some communities in the State, women are still under bondage based on outdated cultural practices including female mutilation, suppression, lack of education to the girl child etc.
The women affairs director noted that though there have been some appreciable improvements, there was still need to press further until all the cultural obstacles against women are totally eliminated.
In her own contribution, Constance Meju who represented the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Chief Emen Okon observed that the women had made some progress in having their rights respected in these 25 years worldwide but regretted that the African record in this regard still falls below average.
She urged the women not to relent but to continue to press on because they are part of the change effort and should do well by teaching their children gender equality at home.
Also speaking at the occasion, a community activist, Dr. Patience Osarojiji said there is still some discrimination against women at the community level especially in the area of appointments and Community Development Committee (CDC) positions. She also lamented the ugly incident of sex for grade that is reportedly rampant in some of our institutions of higher learning and called for a collective fight against the menace.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.
