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By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – WOMEN under the auspices of Peoples Democratic Party Virtuous Women and Youth Forum, PDP-VWYF, have hailed Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria, for gender-friendliness and projecting issues about the women folk in the country.

Akwo

This was stated by the National Coordinator, PDP-VWYF, Esther Akwo, while speaking on issues that concerns women in politics, the affirmative action women have been clamouring for, the violence they receive from their male counterparts, ill-treatment by some traditions, among others which the newspaper has extensively covered and brought to the fore.

Akwo further stated that with the voice of women echoed by the media organization they are no more on the back-burner on national issues, and that has made most women to be more informed, understand and know their position and role they play in the society.

She said: “As you know women are not treated fairly in many ways in this country, despite the huge sacrifice and contribution they make to sustain the family and the economy.

“The women in Nigeria are the most industrious in Africa and have impacted the world in general, and they have been the major drivers of the economy of our country and are the group of people who have laid down a lot to hugely sacrifice and contribute to sustain the family and the economy.

“We the women in Peoples Democratic Party Virtuous Women and Youth Forum, PDPVWF, sincerely commend and hail Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria, a newspaper organization that has shown a high sense of professionalism, unbiased reportage, commitment to gender issues, particularly for bringing women issues to the front-burner, and has become a platform for women’s voice to be heard. The management, editors and reporters are gender-friendly and have helped the women folk to have a sense of belonging.”

Meanwhile, she expressed optimism and hope as she spoke on the present state of the PDP as an opposition party that has been repositioned to give Nigerians voice to say their views about what goes on in the polity.

According to her the people are no more comfortable with what has been going on in the country, and accused the Buhari-led government of intimidating women in his government who stands to say the truth and lamented over the appointment given to women, which she described as abysmal.

“The emerging force of PDP as an opposition party, the solidarity and confidence it is receiving from Nigerians ahead of 2019 general elections is enormous because they are gunning to change the ‘change’.

“We have not seen any impact made on women significantly since the APC came in to govern Nigerians. Women are not protected against violence, poor empowerment programmes and policies, women have been short-changed in appointments, and many women are dying due to poor health care delivery services.

“Many do not have access to finance for their business, while those in the agricultural sector lack access to land, and there are many other challenges concerning women the government has failed to address that would give them a sense of belonging”, she stated.