Rivers State is now one of the leading states that has exceeded the 35 percent affirmative action considering the number of women in public offices, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said.

Speaking at the 2012 International Women’s Day celebration in Port Harcourt yesterday Rt.Hon. Amaechi said the number of women in his administration was far above the affirmative action target.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, Governor Amaechi submitted that since the inception of his administration the plight of women have been accorded serious attention with different policies rolled out to improve their welfare.

Aside the micro-credit loans, free medical programme, the Rivers State Governor promised to give more attention to issues of women, assuring that “we will increase our budgetary allocations and programmes that will affect women”.

Also, Rt. Hon. Amaechi disclosed plans by his administration to protect the rights of women by reviewing the state anti-rape laws in view of  the existing loopholes in the law.

“The law will be reviewed in such a way that at anytime whoever is responsible will be brought to book,” he assured.

The Governor  tasked the womenfolk to lead the campaign in stemming harmful societal practices against them, stressing that most times such vices subsist because women support them secretly.

Earlier in her remark, Wife of the Governor and Founder of the Empowerment Support Initiative(ESI), Dame Judith Amaechi pointed out that this year’s theme,” Connecting Girls: Inspiring Futures” was appropriate considering the plight of the girl-child.

Dame Amaechi harped on the need to mainstream gender rights into all spheres of national life, “It’s pertinent that Africa should rise up to the challenge of women if it must advance”, she warned.

The Governor’s wife further called on women to seek practical solutions to the myriads of problems affecting them, noting that the right of women cannot be swept under the carpet under the present realities.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Joeba West lamented that about 60 percent of rural women were vulnerable due to harmful and archaic practices.

She said time had come for the womenfolk to break the barriers and rise up to modern challenge, while noting that Rivers State Government was doing all it could to reduce the plight of rural women in the area of health and social infrastructure.

Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs Monigan Wokoma in her speech observed that the forum provides opportunity for women to speak against vices in society.

She decried the inequity against women in society and called on government authorities to create more opportunities for women in the country.