President of a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Royal Ladies Associations of Port Harcourt, Mrs Franca Ollawa, says until men  begin to see women as valuable assets, cherish and care for them, the agitation for equity and women emancipation would continue to be an illusion.
Speaking with The Tide, yesterday in Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area, Ollawa noted that one of the greatest challenges facing women in Nigeria was the poor attitude of men toward women who have equal advantage in education, social and political spheres.
“The greatest challenge we have is that our people and society do not put women and men into one category and do not agree that women can come out of the category the people think and function as human beings just as men. Until we come to a point where men can look at women as the same, the gap will get wider and wider,” Mrs Ollawa  declared.
Arguing that the difference between men and women is gender, the NGO boss said if the 35 percent affirmation for women is not achieved in elective positions in any elective period, it will be achieved by 2023.
She expressed happiness that women in the state “ are using this period of governance to develop and reposition themselves.”
On the 2020 International Women’s Day Celebration, she said the group is poised to train many women on  Information Communication Technology (ICT), Mass and Adult Education as a way to involve women in high technology and ICT.
Women, she said are valuable assets who should be cherished and cared for by men irrespective of gender and called on Nigerian men to stop the apathy and segregation against women.

By: Bethel Toby & Gift Tasie