Ade Olu
The Social and Integral Development Centre, SIDEC has taken the sensitization programme for women traders to Agbo-Edo Spareparts market, Nnewi urging women to rise above obstacles and aspire for leadership positions.
Executive Director, SIDEC, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, maintained that women have the natural potential to lead as they have proven in several other spheres of life except for political offices.
The sensitization is part of the Citizens Mobilization for Awareness Creation on Gender Equity, Social Inclusion and Accountability project being implemented by Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) in partnership with SIDEC and supported by MacArthur Foundation.
Addressing the women, Ehiahuruike said, “This sensitization is to demystify the political offices. We want the women traders to know that they have the right and even qualification to aspire to elective offices against men.
“I regret to tell you that we have only one woman among 30 lawmakers in Anambra State House of Assembly.
“Among 21 local government chairpersons, we have only one woman also. This is poor and we must work together to change it.
The SIDEC ED added, “However, if you want to lead, you must come out of your comfort zone. Noone brings power to you at home.”
Political alertness lacking
Programme Coordinator, WRAPA, Christiana Eguma, educated the women on the National Gender Policy, regretting the low political consciousness among the people of South-East Region.
“If I ask about your representatives now, most of you people here don’t know because it does not concern you.
“In the North, people are keen about governance and political matters. We need to emulate that. Where people distance themselves, it is easy to manipulate people’s wishes.
Eguma said that everybody must contribute something for the emergence of a better society.
“The society needs women to rescue it and I charge you to rise to the challenge. We can no longer sit back and watch things bastardized”.
“We must start asking questions and bringing our leaders to account. That is the only way to have good governance.
President, National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) Anambra State Chapter, Theresa Nnalue, appealed to women to register and obtain their voter’s cards.
“That is very important because without voter’s card, you cannot cast your vote. Find time and obtain yours.
“Some women fix other engagements during voting period. I advise that you stop doing so. Democracy is sweet when everybody participates.
Obstacles against PWDs
Chairman, JONAPWD Ugochukwu Okeke, noted with dismay that the society has posed several obstacles to persons with disabilities especially the female folks among them.
“That is why they don’t participate like others. I appeal to each and everyone of us not to traumatize PWDs with what we say, do and how we react to their disabilities.
“For instance, some voting booths are set on high places which some PWDs cannot access.
“If not that I don’t succumb to my disability, I would not have climbed up because it is not disability-friendly.
The Chairman, Agbo-Edo Spareparts market, Nnewi, Kennedy Oguaju, encouraged the women to get ready to take active part in the electoral process especially in the forthcoming election in the state.
The Women Leader in the market, Augustina Nwosu, appealed to fellow women to come out and join political parties.
“It’s true like they thought us. They will not bring power to us at home. We must show interest and be ready to weather the storms.”
