March 10, (THEWILL) – A Non-Governmental Organisation, Hope Aglo Charity Foundation, has urged stakeholders to accelerate action to empower women and reduce gender-based inequalities.
Mrs Lilian Ohiri, Secretary of the Foundation, made the call during a road walk awareness event held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, as part of activities to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD),
Marked annually on March 8, the IWD celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality and reminder that women across the world still face discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion from basic amenities.
With emphasis on this year’s theme focusing on – accelerating action for women and girls: rights, equality and empowerment, the Hope Aglow Charity Foundation gathered Women of different age bracket to embarked on a road walk in Port Harcourt to raise awareness on the need for a healthy woman in the society.
The road walk, which began from Rumuokwurushi/Elimgbu flyover, had women engage in a fitness trek to Eneka Town hall, where Medical personnel were on ground to carry out routine medical test on those present. Some beneficiaries of the medical outreach appreciated the organisers for the timing of the event and urged other stakeholders to prioritise the welfare of women.
Speaking on the significance of the day, Mrs Ohiri underscored that this year’s theme reflected a fundamental truth that empowering women is essential for development.
Ohiri, who highlighted some cultural practices negating the rights of women, called on government to ensure compliance to constitutional provisions guaranteeing the right of women.
“This year’s celebration needs Stake holders to accelerate action in areas to empower women and bring about gender equality. The government still has a long way to go in trying to ensure gender equality and enshrine women right in the country and knowing that some of our culture is still against the equal rights of women, so government still has a lot of work to do”, she observed.
The Rivers State Coordinator of United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre, UN Polac, Ambassador Gilbert Awajimijan, charged Nigerian women to rebrand themselves in order to dispel the wrong assumptions which have limited the amount of opportunities available for their positive development.
“Women are very peculiar, they play a major role so I want to encourage Nigerian women to rebrand themselves. The reason why men don’t take them seriously is because only a few of them are rebranded and the majority who are not rebranded are giving the wrong signal to the world. Women can rule this country if they rebrand themselves and maintain integrity”, said Amb Awajimijan.
On her part, Mrs Goodness Ugonna noted that women are unique creatures equipped with talents and skills that can make the world a better place. She, therefore, charged every woman to stand up and build a strong bond that is capable of breaking all forms of limitations to the growth of women.
She said, “We have to do much better in the society, what I want to tell women out there is that we have what it takes, we can do better at home, in school, at church, in the market and in the society, women have what it takes to support each other. We can rebrand ourselves to accelerate what God has deposited in us.”
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