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Echoes From 2016 Int’l Women’s Day

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Wife of Rivers State Governor, Mrs Suzette Nyesom Wike (2nd right), Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri (left), wife of Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs Charity Adams (right) and another guest on arrival at the church service to mark International Women’s Day at Christ Church Interdenominational, Port Harcourt, yesterday

Wife of Rivers State Governor, Mrs Suzette Nyesom Wike (2nd right), Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri (left), wife of Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs Charity Adams (right) and another guest on arrival at the church service to mark International Women’s Day at Christ Church Interdenominational, Port Harcourt, yesterday

They came from dif
ferent places, adorned in beautiful, colourful attires, with smiles on their faces.  The event was International Women’s Day and Women from the 23 local government areas in the Rivers State, including female professional bodies, market women, Moslem Women Association, Christian  Women Association and other women in the state had gathered at Sharks’ Football Stadium (Civic Centre), Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, to join their counterparts all over the world to mark the day.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 19, 1911, with activities like rallies and meetings.  The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian King promised to introduce votes for women in 1848.  In 1913,  International Women’s Day the (IWD) was moved to March 8.  In 1977, the United Nations added impetus to the celebration by inviting member states to proclaim  March 8 as the United Nations Day for Women’s Right and International Peace.  The event is aimed at helping nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focuses  on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development.
Over the years, women in Rivers State have been part of this great celebration.  With this year’s theme: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up For Gender Equality”, they assembled to reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 agenda.
The Tuesday event was preceded by an Interdenominational Church Service at Christ Church, Forces Avenue on Sunday, March 6, followed by visits to charity homes in Port Harcourt on Monday, March 7.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr. (Mrs) Ukel Oyaghiri, said over the years, the female gender, has not attained the expected level of development as their male counterparts, due to unequal treatment meted on the girl-child which has made them not to develop their God given potentials, adding that we cannot achieve sustainable development if the female  gender is not developed to function well in the society as their male counterparts.
Oyaghiri called on men to give equal treatment to the female children, empower them and ensure that  the rights to their wives and girl-children are protected.
She said her ministry organized this year’s International Women’s Day in a grand style with the hope of touching lives of girl-child, women, children with special needs through the support of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who is gender friendly and who has ensured inclusion of more women in his administration, so as to accelerate the 2030 agenda of building momentum for effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as her ministry pledge, to close the gender disparity between and men and women and to ensure that by 2030, the ration between men to women will be 50-50″.
Oyaghiri expressed optimism hope that with the support of top government official wives, women drawn from the 23 local government areas (LGSs), governmental and non-governmental groups, female, professional bodies, the desire of ensuring better lives for the less privileged, children with special needs and the physically-challenged in our society will be achieved.
Oyaghiri, who has been the 2nd Vice President of the Taekwando Association of Nigeria and a black belt holders, Black Belt College, urged families especially the men  and traditional rulers who still hold onto the obnoxious practices in our society to stop those sharp practices as there was no head way in them and charged them to give equal training to their girl-children as their male counterparts.
She stressed that the entire Rivers people of good-will must ensure the visibility and inclusion of women and girls in all the processes of development and added that this indeed, is the real democracy and gender mainstreaming where women and men are working together peacefully without discrimination to achieve accelerated and sustainable development in the society.
She charged Rivers women to improve on their performances in order to produce and become great women of integrity ready to work hand in hand with their male counterparts to build a better Rivers State come 2030.
In his speech, the Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Keneth Kobani, promised that, his government would continue to enhance and protect the advancement of women in the state, “not just appointing women into key positions, but it is about empowering them to do what they are supposed to do in order to move our society forward”.
He explained that the state government is driven by women, who cut across the three arms of government “and as a gender  friendly governor as we can see, the number two citizen in the state is a woman, the Deputy governor, who is the driving force behind Governor Nyesom Wike and also two arms of government are headed by women”.  He challenged women to speak for their rights, adding that deprived and poor women should be assisted through empowerment programmes and promised that his government would continue to place women at the pride of place in every decision that they take.
In her key note address, the wife of the Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom Wike, while expressing her extreme delight with the great turn out of women , said women are the super-structure, the strong pillar for growth and the development of human race.
Similarly, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo felicitated with Rivers women. She urged Rivers women, as role models to justify the public offices or positions entrusted to them as co-drivers’ in the Governor Nyesom Wike’s-led administration.
She challenged women to be more vocal on issues of violence against them, obnoxious traditional practices and all forms of discrimination perpetrated against women in the society.
In his address, the chairman of the occasion, Nimi Walson Jack, said that one permanent feature of a developing economy is active participation of the women, adding that the task of fighting against disparity should not be left for women alone, but men must join in ensuring equality for all, while promising that the male folk would assist to ensure that this task was achieved.
Highlights of the event were matchpast competition by various women groups, special performance by the Taekwando Association, drama presentation by the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, catching the train, among others.
Okrika and Oyigbo local government areas took first positions in the matchpast and catching the train respectively.  They went  home with Her Excellency’s Award.

 

Calista Ezeaku & Sussan Serekara-Nwikhana

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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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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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