WOMEN SET YOUR MINDS FREE AND GET ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. START SMALL THINK BIG - DR BETTA EDU

As part of activities to Celebrate the International Women day in Cross River State, the wife of the Governor, Dr Linda Ayade yesterday at Ministry of Women Affairs and the 3rd Annual Women in Entrepreneurship Conference theme: Be Bold for Change; Entrepreneurship as a catalyst for change held at CBN SSEDC, Prof Eyo Ita House said the struggle for women emancipation begun over 100 years ago, sadly we are still in that struggle for the emancipation of the woman.

 

According to her what befalls the women in Cross River State is poverty, domestic violence, girl child abuse and household cultural practices which affect the women negatively. “When once a woman is stabilize, the family is stabilize and the whole society is also stabilize.

 

Dr Ayade who was so emotional about the suffering of the women in the State due to high cost of foodstuffs in the Market Caused by recession called on all women to take up their future by standing up for their right, getting some skills and trying to do some work.

 

Dr Ayade said through her NGO, Mediatrix Development Foundation (MDF), her team have fought through the challenges and have worked on improving awareness in the society on the importance of the girl child, she has trained over 100 widows in society on skill acquisition and empowered them with grants and other opportunities which will enable them contribute to society and family

 

“Rape of the young girl child is on the rise, mothers please do not trust anyone with your children, look after them, protect them, don’t allow that small girl run around naked”.

 

Also Speaking, Senator Florence Ita Giwa said women must be bold and participate politically. The denial of women rights has vastly excluded women from participating in or benefitting from the process of development in our nation, we must stand up to that. No nation can develop and prosper by leaving out women, who form half the population.

 

Earlier Speaking Dr Betta Edu who was part of a discussion panel said women must be bold to make decisions that affect their health positively. The must be bold to go to health facilities to deliver, bold to take up family planning when the need it, bold to speakup against domestic violence, bold to end female genital mutilation and other harmful practices. ” we must liberate our minds. It is not war against men, see men as partners to support you. Get something doing no matter how small. Having economic power helps you have a voice at your family and in society” the vision of women empowerment is to restore the power, dignity and respect in women that they ought to enjoyed. She said women are supposed to have equal opportunity with men. females are challenged by early marriage, lack of education and economic dependency on the male family members.

 

She went on to eulogize the Governor, His Excellency, Sen (Prof) Ben Ayade and the Wife Dr Linda Ayade for pushing for the right of the women in the state which today Cross River State have the highest number of female political appointees.

 

Dr Edu said women lack of freedom often lead to taking decisions on the command of their husband which sometimes affect the healthcare of a woman who preferred taking delivery in the health facility and the husband may send her to local church or home of TBA.

 

The DG said for women to grow above all this is for the mindset of the woman to be change from over reliance to economic empowerment of a woman, where all women will be empowered to be self independent and also in order to have a positive impact on reduction and elimination of violence against women which should involve men and youth as part of the solution, so that they can be ready and willing to provide every opportunity to women to participate as equal partners in the process of change that they seek.

 

The Governor wife who also spoke in the Ministry of Women Affairs encourage the women to stand up, voice out their right in the community by showcasing their entrepreneurial skills. She suggested that the event should involves at least 50% of males participants next year as they play an integral role in the support for women’s right.

 

Present at the both event were prominent selected successful female CEO, Representative of Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association, Navy Officers wives amongst others, Commissioner of Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, Commissioner of Information, Mrs RoseMary Archibong, the host; Mrs Stella Odey, Commissioner of Women Affairs and a host of political appointees.

Source: Calabar Reports