NAWOJ FCT Celebrates International Women’s Day With Rural Women
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Over 200 women at the Nga’Kupi Sa’peyi Palace in Garki Village Abuja were empowered by members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ FCT Chapter, as part of activities marking the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration.
Speaker after speaker at he event tagged “Inspire Inclusion: Empowering Grassroots Women, Bridging Gaps, Building Futures” harped on the need for rural women to become self reliant so as to be included in the scheme of things.
In her welcome address, the Chairperson of NAWOJ FCT, Bassey Ikpang, said that if women are empowered, they will break the cycle of poverty, as women empowerment is essential for achieving sustainable development and fostering inclusive societies.
She urged all to advocate for the rights of women to become agents of change within their communities so as to enable them bridge gaps and build a future where they have the opportunity to thrive, contribute and lead.
Senator Ita Enang who spoke on Women and Inheritance Rights, noted that women have enormous powers and are equal to men contrary to some cultures and religious beliefs which sees women are inferior to men.
He charged Nigerians to prioritise the education of a girl child to enable them to take up their responsibilites in a fast-changing society as vital members of society, to fully enjoy the rights enshrined in the law which legally guarantees that both genders can benefit from inheritances.
Speaking, the wife of the Sa’Peyi of Garki, Ambassador Hannatu Usman-Nga was full of praises for the Nawoj FCT leadership and its members, especially for choosing their community Garki as the meeting point for the advocacy and empowerment programme.
She encouraged Garki women to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from every presentation by asking relrvant questions for proper clarification.
For Mrs Katherine Abimbola, who spoke on Mental Health, citizens should prioritise their mental health and jettison unhealthy competitions.
Other speakers, including Dr. Philip Andofa of the National Hospital Abuja, and Dr. Ahmed Magaji, the importance of environmental cleanliness cannot be overemphasised and charged the women to visit the nearest medical centre for proper diagnosis and treatment if they notice any abnormality in their bodies.