This year’s International Women’s Day in Anambra State was marked in a unique style. Over 5,000 women under various groups attended the celebration presided over by wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Margaret Peter Obi. Former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Mrs Cordelia Ego Uzoezie was in attendance.
No fewer than 50 communities in the state represented at the event received machines worth over N40 million from the Anambra State government to enable them fight poverty. Venue was the Women Development Centre, Awka.
Mrs Peter-Obi distributed the items comprising of Garri processing machine, soap processing machine and Palm oil processing machine among others to the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries were full of praises for Governor Peter Obi and wife Margaret, as exemplified by Mrs Josephine Ndubaku from Akili-Ogidi in Ogbaru Local Government Area. She got a Garri processing machine from Obi’s wife on behalf of her community.
Mrs Ndubaku said her community is happy to be remembered and assured they would put the equipment into use to enable them leverage their finances. She asked for God’s blessings on Obi and family because he changed the orientation and attitude of Anambra women and children through his empowerment schemes.
Obi’s wife said the theme, A promise is a promise : time for action to end violence against women, is apt. She said in each local government at least two communities got empowered with one or two equipment. She added that the 177 communities in the state have also been empowered with one or two equipments to enhance their source of income.
Wife of the Governor announced that the Governor Obi’s administration is sponsoring 21 indigent women on pilgrimage and has given women more than their rightful 35 per cent affirmative action in his government. She appealed that everybody joins hands to eradicate women abuse and violence against women.
She reminded that the state government has signed into law the gender equality bill to end all forms of violence and injustices against women, noting that government at all levels are discussing to find a solution to violence against women in the society.
Obi’s wife said:’’ going down memory lane , it is fairly reasonable to say that our society has been essentially patriarchal. The men folk, for some reasons have appropriated the rights and privileges offered by society at the expense of women. Recall that these denials forced women into protests in the mid 1800s.
‘’Unfortunately, the end is yet to come even though we have made some progress. I recall efforts of people like Elizabeth Cady, Susan B Anthony, Alice Paul, Amelia Bloomer to mention but a few, which gave rise to women suffrage in August 26,1920.
‘’Back home in our country, we have not forgotten our own Nnenyeruwa of the famous Aba Women riots of 1929, Margaret Ekpo, Madam Tinubu and Gambo Sawaba among others, whose activities went a long way in protecting the rights of women.
‘’ ….the efforts so far made since those early protests through the Beijing conference and several other conferences, these were no doubt, steps in the right direction.
‘’However, there are still cases of discrimination going on in our society today. Some customs still inhibit women from carrying out some functions. It is a glaring practice in some cultures that women are not allowed to sit alongside men to deliberate on how to run the affairs of their communities. Worse still, some cultures still treat widows with humiliating condescension. This is reminiscent of the old obnoxious practice in ancient Greece where women were classified as properties owned by men.
‘’ However, the greatest threat to the affirmative action to end violence against women is the impunity with which undesirable actions are taken against them. On several occasions, we have witnessed incidences of acid bath on women for unrequited love. Nor are we unaware of brazen cases of rape involving women, both old and young.
‘’Paedophiles have not hidden their determination to wreck havoc on our young girls even as some cultures still send under aged girls off to early marriage. Our newspapers are awash with innumerable reports of several atrocities meted out to the feminine gender. Pointless to tell the enormous toll this has taken on victims of these barefaced acts. Many were known to have died in the process while several others have since become emotional wrecks,” she added.
‘’………..it is my view that time has come for us to bring to an end whatever vestiges of violent acts against women which have persisted. It is true the progressive emancipation has since yielded some fruits actions here and there, but it is also a fact that until the rotten tooth is out , the mouth must chew with caution . Yes, women are country leaders in Liberia , Malawi , Germany , Brazil , Argentina etc.
‘’some states are doing better in their efforts to close this gap. I must state that Anambra is leading in this wise , while a few other states are taking a cue from her (Anambra). It is gratifying that His Excellency , Governor Peter Obi, who incidentally is my husband , treats everybody fairly equally. Merit is the watchword in making appointment in the state . It is my prayer that before long, governments at all levels will come up with policies and laws which will totally eradicate all forms of injustices suffered by womenfolk. I thank you for your attention.
In her address of welcome, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development , Lady Henrietta Agbata represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry , Mrs Gloria Ngozi Okeke informed that about 112 communities were given food processing machines which have been installed and functional even as she restated that the machines given out to 50 communities would be installed within one month of delivery.
She informed that over 400 groups in Anambra state have benefited from Anambra state poverty eradication programme (ASPEP). She added that Obi’s wife had visited all the 177 communities in the state three times to empower widows, Orphans and the vulnerable children, indigent and physically challenged persons numbering over 600 people.
Chairperson , House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development in the state House of Assembly, Hon Rebbecca Udoji-Paragon insisted that women are their own problems in all the abuses and violations as the same women crying out loud champions it in various rural communities and called for a change of attitude to enable the abuses and violations to stop.
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Right Hon Chinwe Nwaebili condemned all forms of violence against women and advocated for gender equality in distribution of national resources. She lamented the injustices meted out on women who lost their husbands adding that no matter the level of the injustices , the dead cannot be raised and therefore fairness and love should be shown to women who lost their husbands than wickedness and unprovoked suspicion and envy.
Chairman on the occasion, Sir Alex Nnabuife , KSJI intoned that the right the women are seeking for they have got as women have taken over all the sectors of the society. He expressed gratitude on how the Anambra state Governor, Mr Peter Obi and wife Margaret have continued to empower women and children as well as youths in the state.
There were presentations of papers from Director National Open University Awka study center , Dr Mrs Chibuogwu Nnaka on ‘’family upbringing: the bedrock for early girl child Development and former HOD Mass Communication Department, Anambra state University, Igbariam Campus, Dr Chijioke Agbasiere on violence against women. They harped on the curbing of violence against women in the society.
