As the International Women’s Day was marked the world over yesterday, the wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo has called on women to rise above socio-cultural, religious, and economic obstacles, to excel in their chosen careers and businesses.
The governor’s wife is also advocating for an end to the hostilities, societal pressure, molestation, battery, abuses, stigma, and short-changing rules that have held women down from achieving their manifest destinies.
This year’s International Women’s Day celebration has as its theme, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.’
Speaking at a ceremony she celebrated at the governor’s lodge, Amawbia, with young student doctors and nurses, to mark the 2024 Global Women’s Day in the state, Mrs expressed concerns over the rising statistics of women who are going through different forms of abuse at homes, workplaces, and even in places of worship.
She further regretted that the society is still dealing with cultural issues like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and subjecting widows to undignifying conditions, noting that these horrible revelations pose a cog in the wheel of the society’s willingness to make that ‘Accelerated Progress’.
Despite the daunting challenges, Mrs Soludo described women as exceptional humans created by God to be extra strong, stoic, and determined, urging them to take perfect motivation from women who have beaten social, cultural, ethnoreligious, and economic impediments to rising in their chosen careers and vocations.
She also spoke of the numerous investments of the Governor of the state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, towards the women, in his belief that with every right resource channeled into building the capacity of women, the entire society gains massively in return.
“My NGO, Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, has also identified the needs of women and is consistently building collaborations to ensure that our women benefit immensely.
“Our campaigns on right health consciousness enveloping nutrition, physical fitness, and hygiene have made great progress on the new culture in Anambra State.
“We have also set up pad banks in over three hundred and fifty secondary schools in the state to solve the problem of sanitary hygiene and menstrual emergencies among female students.
“Just last year, we activated a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to provide free cervical cancer screening and treatment for five thousand Anambra women. At the end of the exercise, over ten thousand women were successfully screened, while those whose results came back positive were treated free of any cost.
“Today, our free antenatal care and delivery services have shifted attention largely to professional medical care, thereby saving the lives of thousands of women who would have subscribed to dangerous local child-bearing practices because of the costs of childbirth in government facilities.
“A few months ago, we gave out one hundred and twenty anti-shock garments to General Hospitals and mission-owned health facilities to save our women from deaths resulting from postpartum hemorrhage.
“The Anambra Small Business Agency (ASBA) is currently handing out soft-interest loans to women who are into agriculture, small and medium-scale businesses.
“Over a week ago, we were in Imo State capital, Owerri, where twenty female farmers from Anambra State received a grant of five hundred thousand naira each to support their agro businesses courtesy of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women Agricultural Support Programme of Nigeria’s First Lady, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (CON).
“As we are emphasizing the need to mobilize political will and resources to address these existential issues faced by women in our immediate and remote communities, I also wish to remind us as women, we need to show a sincere willingness to support each effort, policy, and action that is made to bring solutions. We must also take advantage of new and existing opportunities that support our well-being, especially laws, and political, social, and economic opportunities that are out there. We should also get involved in politics so that we can be actively involved in key decisions that affect us,” she suggested.
Earlier in her remarks, the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Right Hon Mrs Beverly Nkemdiche-Ikpeazu acknowledged that the efforts of the governor’s wife and those being implemented by the Solution Government in the State health sector, are complementary in delivering a society that guarantees easy access to healthcare service to women, children and the girl child.
She posited that “the day provides the opportunity to take stock and restrategize on what we have done, what we are doing, and what we will do to improve equitable healthcare access to the girl child till she becomes a woman.
“The day emphasizes that any society that guarantees the economic empowerment of women is on the path of perpetual progress,” she said.
On her part, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake motivated the young health professionals to aspire to be accomplished in their chosen endeavors, reminding them that there are no limitations to their dreams except within themselves.
Drama presentation on good parenting, poetic rendition of the essence of women, as well as presentation of largesse to the students formed the high points of the ceremony.
