BY KEHINDE EMMANUEL, ILORIN
Kwara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the rights and welfare of women and girl child towards realizing their potentials in life.
The Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Afusat Nike Ibrahim stated this at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Dr. IIbrahim Sulu-Gambari, during an advocacy visit in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day.
The yearly event is marked every 8th of March worldwide and the theme for this edition is “Women in Leadership: Achieving Equal Opportunity in the Covid-19 World.”
Hajia Afusat said their visit was to intimate the Emir of their lined up activities for the programme and to seek his royal blessing ahead of the D-day.
She said the day is significant as to highlight the worth of women and to solicit for an improved recognition, saying they ought not to be denied their rightful position in society.
The Permanent Secretary, who argued that women deserve the best in everything considering their outweighing sacrifices and exceptional contributions to the upkeep of children, sustenance of homes and national development, wondered why some of them are being maltreated in most cases.
She said her Ministry alongside some relevant NGOs are always raising their voices to give women equal opportunity like their male counterparts both in politics, empowerment and skill acquisition programmes.
” Girl child education is very important. We have been working round this policy and we want to commend you for the support. Likewise, our Governor, His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has shown that women count in the socio-economic development of the state.
In the recent past, he has engaged more women in his cabinet. We want this gesture to be taken far and wide. If girls are not educated there is no way they can be brought to the limelight.
“We want your highness to continue to support us in ensuring that all our girls that are out of schools are re-enrolled in schools. We don’t want a girl to be a slave to others in the family, or a situation whereby our girls resort to housemaids. We rely on you to make this happen, by lending us a voice such that we women who are into politics are not regarded as harlots,” she said.
“A good woman in a house breeds good citizens for the state and the nation at large.”
She hinted that their train of awareness campaign will also cover Tsaragi and Offa both in Edu and Offa local governments of the state before the main programme holds.
The Emir, in his response, applauded the state government and the Ministry for working hard to place women in positions they deserve, expressing joy however that a number of them have excelled in various capacities.
Dr. Sulu-Gambari noted that the roles of female gender cannot be overemphasized in everything, and that the level at which they perform those roles always make them exceptional. He pledged to sustain his support for the crusade and prayed God to make the coming event successful.
Members of the visiting team included the Chairperson of International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Kwara State branch, Mrs. Gloria Okoduwa, and the Secretary, Mrs. Kafayat Uzumot, representative of the Nigerian League of Women Voters, Hajia Baliqis Oladumeji and some top principal officers of the Ministry.
