Zonta to spend N38.5 million tackling women, girl-child violation issues

ZONTA Club of Ibadan II says it intends to spend N38.5 million in the next two years to tackle issues of women and girl-child violations issues that are still prevailing in the country.

The organisation said that it would be taking bold actions to encourage women in technology, increase female empowerment and provide the rural infrastructure that will be of great benefit to the female gender in a bid to boost female confidence in society and reduce illiteracy and female attacks.

President of Zonta Club of Ibadan II, Dr Olufunmi Adegbile speaking at her installation, induction of new board members and fundraising luncheon said that a solar lighting project for some selected rural communities is to be embarked upon to address the issue of rape and other related crimes against women and the girl-child.

According to her, aside from the training of no fewer than 1,000 girls in digital/coding literacy and skill acquisition, the club is starting with over 1,000 women in rural communities benefiting from free healthcare support, including eye screening, free reading glasses, dental screening and cervical cancer screening.

Dr Adegbile declared that “Zonta Club of Ibadan will continue to use its influence with the government to implement policies against gender-based violence like wife-beating, widow neglect, unwelcome sexual advances, rape, female genital mutilation/child brides, forced prostitution through human trafficking, forced abortion, widow abuse, discrimination in employment and poor mindset traditions.

“Under my administration for this biennium, a total of N38.5m will be spent to carry out the following projects: attention will be given to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. We will train about 1,000 young girls in digital/coding literacy and provide 20 undergraduate projects in Engineering and Science/Award scholarships through the Golden Z Club.”

Prof. Adebola Ogunbiyi, Head of the Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan/University College Hospital, who was a guest lecturer on the occasion, noted that lack of formal and informal education for women and the girl-child accounted for the rise in gender-based violence.

Ogunbiyi stated that women and the girl-child are highly disadvantaged in Nigeria, adding “even now in 2022 if you ask people for their next of kin, a lot of men will not put their wives as their next of kin. This is the reality of the girl-child and the reason Zonta is going all out to see how to help the girl-child.”