The Commissioner for Special Duties in Anambra State, Barrister Beverly Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche has called on women to be in forefront in creating a better society for themselves, the girl child and future generations.
Barrister Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche made the call in Awka while speaking with journalists at this year’s International Women’s Day celebration.
The day, with its history traced to the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries when women began to raise their voices against systemic and societal inequalities against them in employment and politics, celebrates the political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women, and calls for action to accelerate gender parity.
With this year’s theme being, “Invest in women: Accelerate progress” and the call-to-action hashtag being #Investing in Women, the global community is urged to treat the economic empowerment of women and gender equality as a human rights issue.
Pointing out that the futre of women cannot be guaranteed if not championed by women, Commissioner Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche stated that women must, intentionally, coordinate their actions and activities at every level of society to ensure that their interests and welfare are always prioritized by community leaders and government.
She bemoaned that several harmful cultural practices still existing in Africa, Nigeria and the South-East today that are targeted at women are enforced by women themselves, and stressed the need for women in communities to begin to raise their voices against such practices such as harmful widowhood practices and retrogressive property ownership.
She also emphasized the need to raise awareness on the need to empower women as a veritable solution to end crass poverty in Africa, underscoring that the economic inequality against women is a major underlying factor to deep-rooted poverty in third world countries.
Commissioner Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche noted that the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved until governments in Nigeria and across the globe treat gender equality as a human rights issue, implement gender-responsive financing and support feminist change makers.
While felicitating women on the International Women’s Day celebration 2024, Barrister Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche acknowledged the robust efforts of the Anambra State Government in protecting and preserving the dignity of women through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, but emphasized that the progress already made can only be sustained if women themselves begin to open up more about any violence meted on them, especially now that the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Offences Court in Awka ensures speedy trial of such cases.
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