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Right To Reproductive Health: The Woman’s Challenge

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One of the basic joy of
a wife is that of motherhood. Unfortunately,  a lot of factors had over the years militated  against the flow of this joy resulting to mixed feelings of whether or not  to be in the comity of mothers.
A major factor is the deteriorating state of the woman’s reproductive health occasioned by continued ignorance of a higher populace of women on their rights to such health. This ignorant state has over the  period resulted to the woman’s unhealthy physical, social, mental and educational condition which by extension, has over affected families and society at large.
Maternal Morality or death, the death of a woman when pregnant  and in the process of delivery  has remained a significant  outcome of the challenge to motherhood, which has not only constituted a major means of death of most expectant mothers but  maintained  the state of phobia  in such a woman around the world.
Considering the place of the woman/mother in the posterity and well-being of the home, there is the need for her life to be sustained. To this end, the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), in conjunction with IPAS has again rise to the challenge of ensuring that the  woman’s  life is safe in  this regard.
In a one-day community mobilisation/sensitisation/Town Hall meeting on  Reproductive Health with emphasis  on Post Abortion Care and Family Planning for (PHALGA), Rivers State, NAWOJ/IPAS revealed  that women have the right to reproductive health thereby saving their lives not only from unhealthy  state but untimely deaths.
Against the background that the woman in this part of the World has little or no right of her  own in determining certain issues especially regarding childbearing and or number of children to give births to, it has become obvious that such tenet is a subtle means of the porous unhealthy state of her reproductive health.
Reproductive Health Right of the woman is the knowledge and ability of the woman challenge unhealthy reproductive steps that are capable of endangering her life particularly, that of unwanted pregnancy.
The awareness programme which had female participants drawn from different local government  areas, female organisations, health ministries and health related non-governental organisations ( NGOs) revealed that the woman has the right to boldly walk up to any equipped health facility and demand  for her right, specially of safe abortion in order to save her life.
Following the challenges of childbearing and training in modern times, it has become pertinent to check the level of pregnancy intake which is achieved through family planning methods and  IPAs, an association which focuses on the health, rights, and access of women is of the view that a woman is supposed to know when to get pregnant and when not to and if the latter becomes the case, abortion remains the last  resort and she has the right to a safe one.
In her lecture on community mobilisation, and sensitisation on Reproductive Health, the Co-ordinate, Safe Motherhood, Public Health Department, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Mikai T.K. Amachree noted that  nearly all unsafe  abortions ranging to about 98 per cent occur in developing countries of which Nigeria is one stating that in almost all developed countries, safe abortions are legally available upon request or under broad social  and economic grounds and services are generally easily accessible and available.
Represented by the  Ministries  Co-ordinator, RHIFP, Mrs. Joyce Amaewhule, Amachree said  that in countries where  induced abortion is legally highly restricted  and or unavailable, safe abortion has frequently become the privilege of the rich while  poor women have little  or no choice but  to resort to unsafe providers, causing deaths and morbidities  that become the social and financial responsibility of the public health system.
“Over the past two decades, the health evidence, technologies and human rights rationale for providing safe, comprehensive  abortion care have revolved around greatly and despite  these advances, on estimated 22 million unsafe abortions continue to occur every year resulting in the death of an estimated 47,000 women and disabilities  for another five million women” she said.
While noting that almost all the deaths and disabilities could have been prevented through sexuality education, family planning and the provision of safe,  legal induced abortion and care for  complication of abortion, Amachree maintained that in an induced or spontaneous abortion, women should receive appropriate post-abortion care.
According to her “for those women who abortions were performed unsafely, post abortion is used as strategy to attenuate the morbidity and mortality associated with complications including uterine aspiration for incomplete abortion and offer of contraceptives to prevent future unintended  pregnancies.”
Gynecologist and Representative, First Land  Hospital, Abia State, Dr. Okechi Ajaero noted that  the millennium development Goals (MDGs), number five, focuses on improving maternal health by 2015 adding that with the date at the corner, all hands must be on deck to checkmate the occurrence.
Describing the programme as timely, Ajaero decried the increasing rate of maternal deaths, stating however, that this could  be prevented when knowledge and care are placed side by side.
Ajaero  averred that women in the rural areas are more exposed to the process of unsafe abortions due largely to absence of qualified medical personnel  and adequate medical facilities.
“A lot of doctors have been concentrated in the urban  areas at the expense of the rural areas leaving these women  and young girls whose Pelvics  and cervix  are sometimes not well developed, at the mercy of  quacks and facilities with minimal  medical standard”, he stated.
Maintaining that abortion is a choice, Ajaero stressed the need for mothers/women to prevent unwanted pregnancies by  taking up a family planning method saying “if there must be abortion, then it must be  safe and adequate post care administered accordingly”.
Although it may sound awkward in the ears of some women and mothers in this part of the world, the fact remains that women are faced  daily with the risk of maternal death and it has become imperative for them to stand tall,  uphold their rights and safe their lives.
There are a number  of policies  with implication for maternal health service provision, such as the national health policy that has set maternal and reproductive health care as one of the priority  areas with reduction of maternal  morbidity  and mortality as major expected outcomes and safe motherhood as a key element in the minimum health care package.
More appealing is that the Rivers State House of Assembly in 2003, passed a law legalising  safe  abortion in designated health centres across the state, thus, a call on Rivers  and ofcourse, women resident in the state to avail themselves of the opportunity of utilising  these reproductive health services available in health facilities of the state in order that the universal access to reproductive health by 2015, barely the  next five of months becomes a reality.

 

Lady Godknows Ogbulu

Wife of the Deputy Clerk, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs Theresa Dumnu (left), conferring with wife of Head, News, RSTV, Mrs Edina Chu, during the thanksgiving and dedication of the twin children of the former  in Port Harcourt last Sunday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

Wife of the Deputy Clerk, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs Theresa Dumnu (left), conferring with wife of Head, News, RSTV, Mrs Edina Chu, during the thanksgiving and dedication of the twin children of the former in Port Harcourt last Sunday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

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Women

The Desire Of Every Woman In Marriage

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A woman needs a man that is honest,  trustworthy,  nice,  loving and financially stable.
There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, If there is no money,  it is always difficult.


Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3:Your desire  shall be unto you……..
That is one aspect  the woman expects her husband to take care of.
A woman wants a husband that is not lazy,  at least helping to do one or two things.   A man that is educated and intelligent.
She knows that there is a trait that her husband has.  Traits of taking care of people,  giving freely to people and caring for her family.
A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family,  remembering his family even as he is away from home.
A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.


According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that the women builds her home.
It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit.  Don’t be a monitoring spirit.  Don’t allow anything to take your joy.
Don’t loose trust in your husband.
The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.


The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man.  A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.
Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.
A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

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Women

What Women Want In Yet-To -Be Husbands

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What women want in their yet-to- be husbands matters a lot as far as marriage is concerned.
A woman desires a good fnancial prospect. Interestingly, some modern women place a man’s financial potential as more desirable than they have in the past.
Many decades ago, women ranked it lower on the list. It still comes in after items like love and maturity, but perhaps today’s women realise that a good economic partner is good husband material.
Good health has been an important characteristic for women through the 20th century and remains so these days. One might argue that because we’re living even longer, health plays a huge role in the success of a marriage. Women are anxious to know that their partners are healthy to be able to run the family together.
You discover that in most faith based organisations, would- be couples are mandated to go for medical tests to ascertain their health status as it concerns HIV/AIDS, Genotype and other related ones. This according to stakeholders is to ensure that couples raise healthy families.
Ambition has become less important to women over time, though it still being considered even if women nowadays are thriving in the workforce competing with the male folk. It may be because more women are thriving in the workforce, they want a husband who has earning power but are not looking for him to be the sole provider.
More women want husbands with pleasing disposition. They may not want a man who is always moody. A man who is always cheerful is whom they desire.
Surprisingly, a man’s likes do not rank as high on women’s list of wants as it used to. Until recently, women are more willing to accept a man for who he his, despite the inevitable mood he may be.
Sociability from both men and women rank very high on their marriag material list. And for both sexes, it has been steadily moving up the list for many years. The rise of the “love marriage,” a partnership based on attraction rather than practicalities (like wealth or status) might mean that married couples are more likely to be friends and have mutual circles of friends.
A lot of couples want to associate with others and then socialise. Attending parties of other friends forms part of their marriage requirements.
Women have placed education and intelligence top making it one of their most desirable male traits for decades. This timeline coincides with more and more women receiving college education themselves. Once education becomes important in women’s lives, it is a more attractive trait in potential husbands.
Of course when a woman is educated, she is likely to go for an educated man. When they are gainfully employed, their income boost the family affairs faster.
Today, women are much more attracted to men who are interested in home and family than they ever have been. Men who have desire for their home and children is whom they desire.
After a days job, a man will come home to ensure that his children are comfortable. Because most women today are expecting to be in dual-earner relationships, they want husbands who will be happy and willing to contribute at home. More women today even report that they hope he will take the lead at home.
A woman wants a man who is emotionally stable and mature. Growing big physically is not the issue but maturity in the heart.
Men, too, place a heavy emphasis on a potential wife’s emotional maturity, signaling that it is a key quality for a stable partnership. Women seem to look past appearance to the heart of the matter.
A woman wants a man who is not easily provoked. Dependable character is what some women want in marriage.
Women want husbands that they can count on, and this has not changed in recent years. Yes, women look to their spouses to be lovers and friends, they also want them to be supportive and trustworthy. They want to know that their husbands will be there and remain loyal. Men, too, desire dependable character from their yet-to be wives.
Mutual attraction and love from the first appearance is what they want till they become old.
The highest-rated characteristic women seek from men is mutual attraction and love. Some no longer look for a man who will provide everything, afterall they are also educated and are gainfully employed, they want to be in love.
For some women, even when the man do not provide household needs, the love shown on her is enough. When women had no job prospects and needed to marry, they desired love . The women’s movement has not only helped women pursue careers, it has also given them more choice in love.

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Echoes Of IWD : Need To Invest In Women

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As this year’s Internatinal Women’s Day (IWD) has come and gone, there are calls from different quarters on the need to invest in women so that we can achieve accelerated growth.
It was, indeed, a thing of joy when Rivers Women Unite For Sim, took delivery of large quantities of sanitary towels and some bags of rice provided them for this year’s celebration.
Many young women expressed joy that they got such gesture since some of them have financial problems getting sanitary towels whenever they are on.
Some secondary school students were also lucky to have a share of the benefits. They also got some sanitary towels.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs organised a platform to celebrate and honour the women for the remarkable jobs they perform in their homes and society.
Addressing women on the occasion, the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, noted that women from time immemorial have been great pillars in achieving remarkable heights and stressed that IWD across the globe is pivotal all women for the roles they play in bringing, nurturing and sustaining life.
Dr. Uranta said that IWD, which started in 1911 and celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day that provides women a platform to address economic inclusion, participation in political and public life.
She said the day was set aside to look into lack of access to education for the girl-child, gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, harmful cultural practices as well as other challenges facing women around the globe.
The Hon. Commissioner, who described March 8 as a day to celebrate the socio-economic, cultural and political achievements of women, emphasised that it is a day that offers women the opportunity to reflect on progressive achievements.
Noting that it is an opportunity to call for change, she stressed that it is also an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and every achievement made by ordinary women who did extraordinary things and are remembered in history.
She noted that the IWD2024 theme:”Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress”, is timely and apt because according to her, to achieve gender equality, we must ensure that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women do not elude them.
Her words: ” We must see investing in women as a human right issue and consider investing in women as a social tool to eradicate poverty since women are helpmeet in the homes while a handful are breadwinners in their respective families”.
The commissioner urged women to uphold the deliberate act of investing in themselves, be it furthering formal education, developing a new skill as well as learning a trade.
“Shun idleness, always find something positive and productive to do, regardless of your age, social status and financial capabilities”, she said.
In a paper presentation, Dr. Dabota God’swill Jumbo, reiterated that investing in women would attract good and positive dividends to herself and the society at large and noted that it is essential in addressing poverty, hunger and climate change.
The guest speaker said women need more opportunities in elective and appointive positions, hence the need to encourage and support them in politics.
According to her, when you invest in women, they will be able to create safer environment devoid of gender-based violence.
In a goodwill message, the spokesperson, Rivers Women Unite For Sim, Mrs Charity Deemua appreciated the organisers for making it possible for women to gather and celebrate themselves.
She commended those who created a day like March 8 of every year to celebrate women and regretted that the girl-child was seen as a second-class person decades ago.
The former commissioner, Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, described those who taught it wise for women to celebrate as conquerors, tough and strong.
International Association of World Peace Advocates, a world-class organisation with the United Nations, honoured different categories of women.
In Cross River State, 150 women were empowered with about N15m to boost their small and medium scale businesses.
According to stakeholders, the women empowerment is vital in addressing social, economic and political challenges and will make them self-reliant.
An NGO, Association of Professional Women Engineering Technologists (APWET), said it’s aim is to promote professional excellence among engineering personnel, advocating for women and girl-child education.
With what we saw in terms of response to women’s call on issues affecting them from relevant authorities, we are optimistic that the women will do better whenever they are empowered.
If we must kick out cervical, breast and other forms of cancer in women, underage marriage, prostitution, we must invest in women.
There were goodwill messages from National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC, Nigeria Association of Female Journalists (NAWOJ), among others.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode

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