The First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, has said that for women to advance their rights, a comprehensive approach that could combat all obstacles such as socio-economic and traditional beliefs which “hinder women equality must be taken.’’
Speaking at the launch of her pet-project, Women for Change Initiative, Kaduna state chapter, Dame Goodluck said there was need to work “towards placing more value on each other and be there for each other by avoiding the “pull her down” syndrome.’’
According to her, they must come out in large numbers to vote for credible people in the forth coming elections must be focused united and build alliances in order to secure meaningful change.
She said the president had vowed to “see that every person’s vote counts in the 2011 elections,’’ and, therefore, urged women to come out en masse to participate in the electoral process.
The president’s wife said women played a significant role in the development of any nation, but lamented the situation whereby while women constituted only 8 per cent of the population in the parliament.
She said Women for Change Initiative was not to challenge the men, but to complement their efforts, adding that without the support of their husbands, they could not achieve anything.
In his speech, Kaduna state Governor, Mr. Partick Ibrahim Yakowa, said he was convinced that the “women for change initiative”, couldn’t have come at a better time than now “when there is an urgent need to mobilise, sensitise and arouse the collective conscience of the Nigerian women to the fact that the time has come for her to take mighty place in the society.’’
Earlier, in her welcome address, Wife of the Governor of Kaduna state, Mrs Amina Patrick Yakowa, assured of her commitment to “encourage, support and sensitise women to seek more elective positions’’ that would bring about holistic changes to all women in the state for good governance and political relevance
.
Report by -Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Kaduna
No comments:
Post a Comment