by FIDA

Branch ActivitiesMarch 24, 20220 comments

FIDA Ekiti Celebrates Internation Women’s Day

On Tuesday, the 8th day of March 2022, The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ekiti State Branch celebrated International Women’s Day with the theme: Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow
FIDA Ekiti ably led by the Chairperson; Oyinade Olatunbosun celebrated the day with a Public Sensitization at Erekesan Market (the King’s market)
The delegates were overwhelmingly received by the Market Women and their male counterparts.
The Traders were sensitized on:

1. Women’s Rights are Human Rights.
2. The need to protect their rights and those of their girl child
3. The need for more female participation in politics and voting for more females in the forthcoming State and National elections.
4. They were also sensitized on the need to protect the dignity of women by not striping them naked whenever they are alleged to have committed any crime in the Marketplace.
   The sensitization was reiterated in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo languages as well as Ekiti dialect.
   The Chairperson thereafter gave the market women the office hotlines to call whenever in distress or when needed.
   FIDA Ekiti and other NGOs; including the National Council of Women Societies of Nigeria (NCWS), NAWOG, GRIP, and APIN in peaceful Rally marched to the State House of Assembly to protest on the five bills recently rejected and voted against by the National Assembly legislators.
   In her speech, FIDA Ekiti Chairperson commended the Ekiti State House of Assembly members on their efforts in providing legal frameworks to protect the rights of women and children in Ekiti State and urged them to reach out to their male counterparts at the National Assembly on the acceptance of the five Bills rejected by the National Assembly. She cited the occurrences of the aftermath of the First World War and Rwanda War, which gave room for women’s participation in political leadership and other spheres in Society, she then emphasized that we should not always wait for wars before women are allowed to take up leadership roles and she also demanded accountability from the National Legislators.
   The NAWOJ Chairperson in Ekiti also spoke on the recent development at the National Assembly and asked that the State intervenes.
   The Representative of Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion (GRIP) as well as APIN Public Health Initiatives also corroborated what has been said by other agencies.
   In his remark, the Honorable Speaker congratulated the different women groups on the celebration of International Women’s Day and appreciated their efforts. However, he also expressed his displeasure and disappointment in the National Law Makers for rejecting the Bills. He stated that the act of the National Assembly has brought the Nation backward.
   He then urged the groups not to relent in fighting for their course till the Bills are passed by the National Assembly as he promised that the House will do all they can to reverse the rejection of the Bills.