In commemoration of this year’s international widows day celebration, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Ekiti State branch has empowered widows in the state.
At the event on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, the widows were empowered with cash gifts and materials to support the growth of their petty businesses. Some of them received hair dryers, food items, and hair watching basin among others.
Speaking, the Chairperson of FIDA Nigeria, Ekiti branch, Mrs Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards said the organization remains committed to the advancement of widows towards ensuring their welfare and social justice in the society.
She lamented that over the years widows faced a series of discrimination and often neglected by the people, saying that FIDA would continue to do its best in giving them voice, amplifying their concerns and creating a more just society for widows.
According to her, the empowerment initiative including cash gifts and tools is designed to uplift the women economically and as well restore their self-worth.
Olowoyo-Richards said, ” Over the past year, our branch has remained committed to the cause of widowhood justice. Many of the widows we support are survivors of injustice stripped of their dignity through harmful widowhood practices, denied their inheritance rights, and left to navigate life’s hardships alone.
” But today, we do not just gather to commemorate.Today, we celebrate resilience. We celebrate strength. And we celebrate a new beginning for some of our widowed clients. Through the Widows Empowerment Program, which is the highlight of this year’s celebration, we have taken a bold step forward in turning advocacy into action.
” To our dear widows here today: you are not forgotten. You are not alone. FIDA Nigeria, Ekiti State Branch, will continue to stand beside you. We will keep pushing for laws that protect your rights, raising awareness about your challenges, and designing programs that empower you to thrive, not just survive.
” As we leave here today, let this occasion remind us all that every widow deserves to live a life of dignity, with access to justice, economic opportunity, and social inclusion. Let us continue to raise our voices until widowhood is no longer a sentence of poverty or discrimination, but a phase that society helps to heal and restore.”
On her part, the two former chairpersons of FIDA Ekiti branch, Mrs Modupe Aina and Mrs Oyinade Olatunbosun commended the leadership of the organization for coming up with the initiative of empowering the widows.
They advised the beneficiaries not to be disturbed about their present conditions but remain committed and deploy the materials and cash gifts received to improve their lives in the society.
One of the beneficiaries, Bukky Olobayo who spoke on behalf of others described as unprecedented the supports received from FIDA, assuring them that the materials received would be adequately used for their economic stability.