Gender balancing : Women charged to be united, law-abiding

By Stanley Onyekwere

The acting Secretary for Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Hajiya Safiya Umar has implored women to be united, focused and law-abiding in the struggle to achieve gender equality in the Territory.
She noted that the struggle for gender equality is not a war situation, but a peaceful protest to press home issues affecting women in the society.
She spoke during a road walk, organised by an Abuja-based nongovernmental organization, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, as part of the activities of the marking this year’s International Women’s Day, in Abuja.
Speaking earlier, the founder/president of the foundation, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, explained that the road walk was aimed at demonstrating the strength and willingness of women to partner with the men counterparts for positive development.
Ahmadu noted that Nigerians are beginning to identify the plights of women in the world, adding that women should strive to carry other women along in the struggle to achieve gender equality.
She pointed out that being a woman today is bigger than a gender itself, stressing the need for every woman to stand up for herself and that of other women, because the struggle is beyond a single individual.
Ahmadu revealed that the Helpline Foundation for the Needy is doing everything possible to ensure that the girl-child is well educated, while women in extreme poverty are also given various forms of empowerment programmes to enable them live a meaningful life.