Women’s Day celebrations: Empowerment or jamborees?

THURSDAY, 8th March, 2018, the International Day of Women was celebrated with razzmatazz all over the world, Nigeria inclusive. In Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, the celebration this year, as was the case the year before, was in a class of its own. Leading the festival-like celebration was the state governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, ably supported by his wife, First Lady Feyisetan Fayose. Women came from all over the state and camped at the Kayode Olufemi stadium-venue of the event. The physically-challenged, trade and professional groups were not left out. Adjoining streets in the vicinity of the stadium were carnival-like. Various music stands ditched out music and groups sang political songs.

As was the case last year, this year’s International Day of the Women served a twin purpose – celebrating women without relegating to the background subtle campaign towards the July 14 governorship election, in which Gov. Fayose has declared his preference to have his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka, succeed him flying PDP’s flag. Party primaries will be held soon and Fayose has also promised a level playing field for all aspirants, thus quenching, at least for now, strident opposition from those miffed by his open support for Eleka.

This year, Fayose fulfilled his pledge to give N20,000 empowerment grant to 10,000 women drawn competitively from all the LGAs.  At the promptings of his wife right there at the stadium, he pledged to include an additional 5000 women among the beneficiaries within the next two months. Empowerment and politics apart, another goal of the lavish celebration in Ekiti was to increase women awareness, and sense of self-worth, thus sensitising them to play leading roles in their respective family’s economic emancipation as well as active roles in politics. Locally, this push is said to be paying off as more women are taking part in politics and this is complemented by government’s deliberate policy of encouraging and or appointing more women into elective and appointive posts. Top posts held by women include Secretary to the State Government, Accountant-General; Commissioner for Works, and Commissioner for Women Affairs. There is a woman local government chairman and many vice-chairmen and councillors.

ALSO READ: Herdsmen shoot 11 dead as Buhari leaves Plateau •Violence escalates in Taraba, 24-hour curfew imposed

Fayose’s belief is that the sensitisation of women and the attention drawn to them through the yearly elaborate event will soon be rewarded when, at International and national levels, Ekiti women are recognised and begin to take their rightful place. The Guest Lecturer was activist, Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin, whom Fayose personally decorated on the podium with the “uniform” specifically sewed for the occasion. Eleka, at the event, pledged not to remove “ancient landmarks”; meaning, he will follow in Fayose’s footsteps. Invitees came from home and abroad and the event was broadcast live by Channels and AIT.

This is the last of such celebrations that Fayose will attend as a sitting governor; he promised, however, to come from Abuja as the nation’s president to attend next year’s event. He has always insisted he would be president and towards this end, had travelled to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in September last year to publicly declare his presidential ambition. Setting apart a day worldwide to remind men of the need to accord women equal rights is good; sensitising and encouraging the womenfolk through celebrations and favourable policies is also a right step in the right direction. However, the women themselves must realise that political power is hardly got on a platter. Examples all over the world attest to the fact that women who break through the male-dominated world of politics do so on equal footing on all fronts – education, determination, grit, sacrifice, experience, name it. It does not appear it will be any different here in Nigeria.

LAST LINE: If Chief Obafemi Awolowo were alive today and elects to join a party, which will he join?