Royal Ladies Association of Port Harcourt, a social justice non-governmental organisation working to promote women’s rights, combat poverty and other forms of injustice in Nigeria, has urged government at all levels to adopt and prioritise “care” in re-organising the economy and society.
President of the group, Mrs. Franca Ollawa, stated this while commemorating the 2021 International Women’s Day, in Port Harcourt recently.
She said, it was a strong reminder of the unanticipated struggles of Nigerian women, who are the hardest hit by social and economic disruptions caused by Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Many lost their paid jobs and women became saddled with the unpaid responsibility of caring for sick family members and providing their needs often in vulnerable, low paid roles with little protection.
According to the President, “Presently, insecurity has plunged Nigeria into multiple and intersecting crises with women as primary target and easy preys.”As the country re-strategises to rise above this current situation, we call for the adoption of a care-centred approach, which recognises that care and well-being are critical to sustaining societies, economies and the environment”, she said.
Ollawa explained further that a care-centred approach also entailed investing in gender-based violence prevention and response in all public and private spaces.
The organisation also called for a scale up of investments in public services, including, public health-care in order to reduce and redistribute women’s unpaid care and domestic work, and ensure that female public sector workers who are at the frontline should have decent work and a guarantee of international labour standards.
International Women‘s Day celebration The Tide gathered, is marked every March 8, with this year’s theme:”Women In Leadership, Achieving An Equal Future In A COVID-19 World”.

By: Bethel Toby