….promises more deliverables to positively impact women’s life

By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

The Founder and Chairman of Passion for Life Initiative, PFLI, Duchess Daughter Mabinton, warned that intimidation of women voters during 2023 general elections would not be acceptable.

Mabinton stated this during ‘Women Arise Conference Abuja 2022’ with theme ‘The Role of Women in Nation Building’ orgnaised by Passion for Life Initiative, ahead of 2023 general elections.

She pointed that as men have right so also the women in Nigeria as far as the constitution is concerned.

Explaining why her organisation came up with the conference she said it has become imperative to make Nigerian women understand that with their number in various sectors including being mothers and wives they have serious and strategic role to play in the political and economical process of decision and policy making, and should not allow themselves to be kept in a corner.

She said: “Today is about the ‘Role of Women in Nation building’. We are examining what women can do to move Nigeria forward because women had to stand and speak up in the society. 

“This Summit is aimed at giving a push to encourage us as women to stand up and play our rile as nation builders.

“This time around, people are supposed to come and vote for who you think that will lead you in this country.

“We encourage people to go and get their Permanent Voter Card, PVC, and vote. It is everybody’s  right to vote, and no Nigerian, especially women should not be intimidated but encouraged to vote their choice.”

She also lamented violence against women in Nigeria, which she said has become rampant and disturbing.

“Violence against women is now very rampant, and is very wrong. We as an organization seriously kick against things like that in our society. 

“A woman is supposed to be a helpmate and not a slave. In as much as we respect our men as the head of the family is not a ticket to slave a woman, where men batter women anyhow”, she stated.

Speaking on activities of her organisation she said, “Since 2017 we were registered we have touched a lot of lives including people’s homes, children living with cancer in Lagos, widows, even Internally Displaced Persons, IDP,  camp in Kaduna, orphanage homes in Port Harcourt, Rivers and Cross River States.

“Presently, we are handling projects of empowering women across the country; establishing a fashion skill acquisition and empowerment centre, and we are maintaining drainages, controlling gully erosion within our environment respectively.

“In 2022, we are and have embarked on projects like borehole installation, donation of educational materials to schools to enhance learning and this conference christened ‘Arise Women Conference 2022’.”

She added that there is need for women’s voice should be allowed and heard in nation building.

“We all know women are the foundation stones of a strong nation in terms of shaping and stabilizing the society”, she added.

In a paper presentation, Victoria Esa, Benue State Coordinator, Passion for life Initiative Nigeria, said gender based violence is a global crises since the existence of human history.

In a paper presentation titled ‘Curbing the Rate of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in our Society’, which was delivered by

Victoria Esa, Benue State Coordinator, Passion for life Initiative Nigeria, said gender based violence is a global crises since the existence of human history.

Esa, who is a Fellow of Forestry Association of Nigeria (FFAN), said that the Covid-19 and other mobility restrictions have left many women and girls trapped with those that abuse them.

On measures to mitigate gender violence in Nigeria, she called for creating of laws and enforcing the existing laws that protect women from discrimination and violence including rape, trafficking, beating, and others.

“Also, educating the community members on their responsibility under the nation human right laws.

“Promoting  peaceful resolutions of disputes by including the perspective of women and girls”, she said.

However, she (Esa) said the public should be sensitized about the disadvantages of early and forced marriages.

“Also ensuring the effective implementation of programme, polices and legislations that contributes toward achieving gender equality in Nigeria by 2030”, she said. 

In another paper presentation, tilted, ‘Role of Women in Politics in Nigeria’  by Member Adiguve, who said women demonstrates superior leadership values and could close the gender policy gap.

The Coordinator, PFLI, North Central Zone Hajia, Ruquayya Hussain, said, “We are targeting the Almanjiris in terms of enrolling them for western education, which we have one whose western education is sponsored by our organization, who have graduated and now he is in Polytechnic, and also he is sensitizing his fellow Almanjiris to accept western education. 

“We have so many programmes and projects we are going to embark, and we will seriously focus on agribusiness capacity building for women so they can be self-reliant, supportive at home and create wealth.”

Meanwhile, the Coordinator, PFLI, Cross River State, Thereasa Enench, said, “We have done quite a lot of charity for the less privilege and indigent families.

“For the girl-child, we tell them how to keep themselves, and we provide sanitary products for them, and educate them on how to keep themselves as girls so that they will not be abused by men and boys out there because they still have future to be who they want to become.

 “Even the children in school, we discovered that so many children are intelligent and have passion to go to school but no sponsors. 

“We go to different schools, like government schools because we as a body we are equally donate money from our individual purses in order to sponsor their education because of our concern, care and passion for these children. 

“We buy books and other materials to enable them go back to school, which we tell them that education is the key to their progress in life.

However, Enench lamented that donor organisations are yet to support the organisation’s interventions and activities.

She also called on government and organizations to focus on training women and girls, because when a woman or girl is trained is like training a whole nation, hence it is Imperative to concentrate resources in building women capacity.