NAWOJ Seeks Partnership With Ministry

The Rives State
chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), has called on the state Ministry of Women Affairs to involve the association in its regular activities.
The state chairman of NAWOJ, Mrs. Lilian Okonkwo, made the demand on Tuesday when members of the association paid a courtesy call on the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr (Mrs) Ukel Oyaghiri. She said Nawojians were at the ministry to intimate the commissioner on the association’s manifesto and the achievement recorded since the current leadership of the association came on board over a year ago.
Mrs Okonkwo said NAWOJ had carried out series of campaign on the ills against women and children in the society, adding that the body had also carried out advocacy visits to some traditional rulers in the state as custodians of our traditions, to condemn harmful widowhood practices and also solicit for more education of the girl child.
She further disclosed that the association is currently using the media as a viable tool to campaign against rising cases of hawking and child labour in the state and also plans to us this year’s international women’s day celebration to highlight some of the issues affecting women and proffer possible solutions to them.
Responding, the commissioner thanked NAWOJ for the visit and promised to partner with her. She said, “You don’t need to ask that you will be carried along because we need publicity. We need people who will talk about our programmes and as women. I know that you will be more passionate about the programmes that have to do with women and children and the Ministry of Women Affairs is all about women and children. NAWOJ is our partner in that direction”.

Calista Ezeaku/
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana