Fayemi’s wife uses women empowerment to advocate end to social ills

“I have gone round Ekiti State twice in the last 18 months. First, it was to ask for your votes to enable our governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi come back for a second term. The second time was to seek your support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. On both occasions you responded positively and that is why we are now reaping the benefits of these wise decisions. I am here to identify with you and thank you for your steadfast support for the administration of our governor.”

These were the words of wife of the Ekiti State governor, Bisi Fayemi during her advocacy and empowerment tour of the sixteen local government areas of the state, tagged ‘Obirinkete Women Empowerment Tour 2019’ which she said was conceptualised towards giving women and the aged a sense of belonging across the state.

Aside using the programme to appreciate the support of women across the state for the All Progressives Congress-led government, the governor’s wife believed that without significant investments in women, it would be largely impossible for the state to achieve any of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She said she embarked on the tour to engage the communities on their problems and to make advocacy on the need to stop the menaces of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), open defecation, domestic violence against women, child trafficking and rape, that have become rampant in the society.

The women in their large numbers rolled out the drums to receive the governor’s wife as she took turns to visit the council areas to hand over empowerment materials and cash gift that will in no small measure transform the lives of the various women in the overall interest of their immediate community and the state at large.

The empowerment materials included: sewing machines, hair dryers, cookers, food warmers and grinding machines. Also distributed were delivery kits for pregnant women, sanitary protection for school girls, food supplies for widows and the elderly.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Foluke Adetola expressed appreciation to the wife of the governor for the empowerment materials, noting that it would go a long way in improving her economic life and standard of living.

According to her, as a stylist, the hair dryer she got would help her to be more efficient and attend to more customers, “especially now that we are approaching Yuletide when there will be more people coming to make hair.”

Aside the empowerment programme, the tour was also used for the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation campaign where many people agreed to stop the practice.

The repentant FGM practitioners, mostly women while dropping their instruments also signed a legal agreement with the state government not to return to the widely condemned practice.

Mrs Fayemi, who praised the women for renouncing the obsolete practice of genital mutilation, said the state government is determined to step up its war against rape, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child slavery and open defecation that have constituted a national shame to the state.

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She lamented that Ekiti was ranked first in open defecation and third in female genital mutilation practices in the country, urging the FGM practitioners who were prepared to dump the practice to surrender their instruments in exchange for viable empowerment package from the state government.

According to her, “It is a shameful thing for Ekiti to be ranked third in female genital mutilation. This is unacceptable to us. In open defecation, Ekiti came first in Nigeria. Let us stop the practice, because it endangers our lives. The government will soon provide toilet facilities across the state. The essence of this tour is to engage in advocacy, because we need to pay more attention to the health of our women. Those who are of child bearing age should go to hospital for medical care. 10,000 delivery packs (Mama Kit) have been provided which will be distributed to pregnant women.

“The issue of gender violence is also of concern to us. Please, husbands, don’t beat your wives. If you are being beaten by your husbands, please report to the nearest police station because we have a law that prohibits that. Don’t wait until you are killed. If someone defiled any child and you come to beg, the person will be treated as an accomplice,” she warned.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Mojisola Fafure, said the empowerment and advocacy visit was an indication that the first lady was passionate about issues that affect women in the state.