Wife of Ondo state governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu, on Monday advocated for holistic and early development of the girl-child to make her strong and independent in the society and bridge the gender gap.
Mrs Akeredolu who stated this during the opening ceremony of the 2021 BEMORE Summer Boot Camp for young girls at the Public Service Training Institute, PSTI, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, identified ICT as one of the fastest means to bridge the gender gap, saying the girl-child is equipped with ICT skills.
According to the governor’s wife, there is a need to ensure that the girl child is empowered and in order to change the gender narrative.
Mrs Akeredolu who is the brain behind BEMORE programme disclosed that her experience as a breast cancer survivor had strengthened her determination to bridge the gender parity gap by empowering girls in the field of ICT and solar technology.
She disclosed that no fewer than 2000 girls had been trained since the establishment of BEMORE in 2017, stating her commitment towards empowering and m building an army of female technology leaders.
She said: “This year marks the fourth edition of BEMORE in Ondo State and the second edition of BEMORE in Imo State. Surely, we couldn’t have gotten this far without sheer resilience – willpower to impact the girl child at all cost, and I really mean “at all cost”.
“There was a hunger in me to change the gender narrative of our nation, but in me was also doubt. My doubt was not because I was bereft of ideas on how to change the gender narrative, rather, I was unsure of how to get the required resources to empower the girl child and in effect change the gender narrative.
“We are close to training 2000 young secondary girls in ICT, SOLAR Technology and other life-enhancing skills. Given that their minds have been rewired to have a different orientation, the BEMORE girls will become a generation I had named “A BREED WITHOUT GREED”.
“The girls will be taught to become selfless change agents by making SERVICE their watchword. In fact, with these girls, I foresee a future where females lead.”
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor of the state, Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa who commended the initiative stated that BEMORE is a life-changing and life-impacting programme that had grown to unimaginable heights.
He said, “Education is not just about cognitive learning, but about impacting lifetime opportunity into youth.”
Some of the programmes at the event include a health talk on COVID-19 as well as a presentation on breast health, while tests were carried by medical experts.
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