A cross section of the organisers of the programme, Mrs. Ruppee Racheal Misan ; Mrs Blessing Akporiaye and Mrs Oreva Usolo ( Middle), in a group picture with the Agbassa community women at the end of the Int’l women’s celebration, held at Agbassa community Town Hall, Warri, Delta State, recently.
By Victor Kobodokuni
WARRI/Nigeria: The ancient Community of Agbassa in Warri South local government Area of Delta state Was really a beehive of activities recently, when a non -governmental organization known as, the Development Initiative For Community Impact ( D I C I), in collaboration with the Eagle Hands International Foundations ( E H I F), Warri, Delta State, and Rural Women Restoration and Development Initiative ( R U W Y A N) Warri, organised International Women’s Day Celebration for the entire women of Agbassa community, with the theme, “Press For Progress “, Sub-theme, ” Narrowing the Gender Gap”- The Role of Women in Reducing Gender Based Violence ”
The grand – breaking ceremony, which featured women from all walks of life in the community, was held at Agbassa Community Town Hall
Addressing the entire women at the event, the Executive Director, Development Initiative For community Impact (DI C I), Mrs. Ruppee R . Misan, however disclosed that the essence of the programme is to really synthesise the entire women generally on the gender inequality existing in the society, so that women generally will be able to occupy their prime places in the educational, political and the socio – cultural and economic sectors of the economy.
Mrs. Misan further hinted that all over the world, women celebrate Int’l Women’s Day, because of the gap of inequality between man and women, oppression, gender based issue and how women are negatively affected by the economic factor, political factor and socio – cultural factor across the globe. She reiterated that it is for this reason that they decided to come together to encourage the entire women to strongly press on for progress. She explained that women are psychologically abused, traumatized and experiencing a serious gender based violence in the society. To this end, she charged all women in the community present to stop blaming the victims, become economically empowered, remain a part of the decision making body, help one another, break the culture of silence in their various homes, give equal treatment to both boys and girls children in their respective families, support any woman that has gone through these bitter experiences and women should also educate their girls and boys children and make them their friends.
She further charged women in general to reduce the gender based violence of about 200 gap between men and women in the society
In her contributions, the Project Director, Eagle Hands International Foundation ( E H I F), Mrs. Oreva Usolo, who appreciated the entire women in the community present at event for their huge turn up, encouraging them to continue in their meaningful contributions towards the upbringing of their children. She pleaded with the women to try and take the bull by their horns and follow up their children with all sense of discipline and uprightness to make a difference in their respective communities.
On her part, the Director of the programme, Rural Women Restoration and Development Initiative ( RUWYAN), Mrs. Blessing Akporiaye, thanked the entire women for their participation and advised them to stop their children from all manners of hawking, for it creates an avenue for these children to be highly molested and harmed. She further charged the women to always try and carry out a thorough check on their girls children mostly, whenever they they return from school and to also ensure that they are doing the school work correctly.
Mrs. Akporiaye further pleaded with the women to also learn to make the children their friends, lecture them, follow them up, apply all the knowledge they have acquired from the programme in guiding their children on daily basis to better their lives, just as she warned all the women to desist from every acts capable of ruining their marriages into a single family, noting that research has shown that most children that have been successfully molested in the society are from the broken home.
In an exclusive interview with two women from the community, the community Welfare Officer, Miss Elohor Shanomi and the community secretary, Mrs. Martha Ope, appreciated the organisers of the programme for their immense roles and additional plans to do more things for the community growth and development. They prayed that the organisers should not relent in their efforts in organizing similar programmes that will develop the community in due course, just as they tasked all the community women present to also keep it up by giving their children a good education at all time.
High point of the ceremony was the drama presentation by the community women showcasing the best way women should bring up their children in every community.
