According to Accord for Development, a non-governmental organisation, and Dr. Roseline Uranta, the Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs, women should have more access to economic opportunities and decision-making positions so they may contribute to the advancement of society. At a workshop on affirmative action and economic advocacy for women and youth in Port Harcourt, Dr. Uranta gave a speech.
“While women should not fully equate themselves with men, they deserve better,” she said, expressing dismay at some behaviours that keep women from reaching their full potential.
According to the commissioner, the workshop’s topic, “Advancing Gender Equity Through Affirmative Action and Social Inclusion for Women,” is highly relevant to the state government’s goal of creating an environment that is sensitive to gender.
She also mentioned the policies and initiatives implemented by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration to improve the situation of women in the state.
“I am passionate about fostering an inclusive society where women have equal opportunities to thrive in my role as the honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs,” she said.
“Despite progress, women in Rivers State still face significant challenges,” she remarked in reference to the situation of gender equity in the state. These include ongoing gender-based violence, restricted access to economic opportunities, and insufficient representation in positions of decision-making.We are dedicated to putting policies into place, encouraging social inclusion and affirmative action, bolstering organisations that support women’s empowerment, expanding access to economic, medical, and educational opportunities, and preventing gender-based violence through support services and advocacy in order to address these issues.
She encouraged women in the state to be true to themselves and keep working, particularly to help out at home.
“They (women) should not be lazy or just stay without doing anything,” she said. Equity is just that. This does not imply that they ought to be on an equal footing with males. Numerous initiatives by the state government will help women in the fields of agriculture, health, and other fields.
Andy Ogbuigwe, the Programme Director of Accord for Development, told South-South PUNCH reporter that the organisation strives to improve society by promoting sustainable development and various social, political, and economic challenges.
“No country, society, community, or entity can develop if 50% of its constituent part is not being well catered for or is underperforming,” Ogbuigwe stated, acknowledging that women comprise 50% of society. “Therefore, issues of gender development are very critical to national development at all levels and in all ramifications.”
Regarding the workshop’s expectations, he stated that it will raise awareness and sensitise attendees to gender equality concerns so that women and other participants may comprehend the need of promoting these issues.
In order to ensure that there is a balance between men and women in decision-making and resource allocation, he said, “And people here should be able to take the message to their communities, to their homes, to their churches, to their businesses, everywhere they have a sphere of influence.”
The secretary of the International Federation of Women Lawyers’ Rivers State chapter, Mrs. Irene Pepple, spoke during a session on gender norms and stereotypes. She emphasised the importance of helping women obtain equity and equality and expressed satisfaction with the responses from the women who attended the workshop.
Mrs. Pepple said she was happy with the state’s new law that allows women to inherit property, saying it promotes gender equality and equity.
“That legislation did not exist previously, but it was proposed by the former governor, who presented it to the state House of Assembly. The bill was enacted into law, and the governor signed it into law,” she stated. This implies that women can now inherit assets from their father’s side, even from their spouses, as a result of that statute. Because a woman may now inherit property in her father’s home, she is on level with males, which promotes gender equity and equality.