21st Nat’l Women’s Conference ends, as stakeholders release 7 recommendations

..Ondo participants appreciate Gov Akeredolu, Wife for sponsorship, share experiences

As the 21st National Women’s Conference, organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO, ended yesterday October 28th 2021, stakeholders have released seven recommendations geared towards enhancing the lives of Nigerian women, children and the socio-economic development of the nation.

In a communique issued at the end of the closing ceremony of the three days conference held at the Eko Convention Center, in Eko hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos State, it was recommended that to put an end to gender stereotypes and other challenges confronting female gender in Nigeria, National and States’ Assemblies should pass gender equality legislations that would guarantee quick and effective justice for crimes and violence against women. Also, enabled women leadership and empowerment trainings, access to education and medical treatment for physically and mentally challenged women and create enabling environment for women to participate in politics.

That a law should be passed and policies instituted to enable flexible work sector and that government should have organised sponsored family events and activities.

The conference also recommended that, family as a bedrock for which a child should get the first set of values, should employ intentional parenting and helping co-parenting dynamics to ensure that children aren’t at the mercy of external socialising forces which they may not be able to filter for proper development.

“That as a people, we should raise awareness and engage in advocacy to encourage screening so that the three preventable cancer, cervical and breast cancer for women and prostrate for men will actually remain preventable. That the government through the Ministry of Health and various stakeholders should also institute policies mandating screening and vaccination for the girl child from age 10.

“That as women, we should maintain a healthy record keeping, savings and financial planning culture in readiness for financial opportunities that would surface. Government should support women through the Ministry of women affairs and poverty alleviation at the State and Federal levels and organise seminars from time to time to educate women on how to keep basic financial record in an effective manner so as to access fund and position them for global opportunities.

” That as women, we should rebrand and care for ourselves, possess the strength, perseverance and humility as qualities. We should support and encourage the aspiration and leadership of fellow women”, the communique reads.

Meanwhile, participants from Ondo State at the conference couldn’t hide their joy for the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and ideas they acquired from various lectures delivered; and therefore, appreciated the First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu for nominating them. They also lauded the fatherly show of love demonstrated by the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who identified with them as the Special Guest of honour of the conference.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Gender Research and Documentation, Mrs Temitope Daniyan, who stood in for the First Lady at the event, described the conference as awesome and well- organised, while affirming that she had really learnt new, creative and innovative ideas that could be replicated in Ondo State.

She said: “Lectures were delivered by seasoned resource persons who really understood the topics. I have really captured beautiful ideas of how we can also implement our own programme so that it would be outstanding and superb. Some of the lectures were some of those we’ve had in Ondo State because our First Lady is a proactive woman and she has done so much in the areas of breast and cervical cancer; in the area of women in politics, empowerment and women literacy; it’s like an additional because we are not reservoir of knowledge. We need to learn and re-learn”.

On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, Mrs Kehinde Omolara Adeniran commended the mental health knowledge she acquired and how to identify when a child is addicted to drugs. She thanked the Lagos State Government for the free breast, cervical screenings, eyes test and other tests conducted at the venue, while expressing optimism that such could be replicated in Ondo.

Mrs. Morenika Alaka, the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Mobilisation (Southern senatorial district), described the knowledge she acquired as one that can never be bought with money; “this is a cry for women to awake and be part of decisions making, to awake and be part of what is happening in our environment and the nation, I want to suggest that this type of Conference should come up regularly so that women can always be gingered to do the needful”, she added.

On her part, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of women affairs, Mrs Foluke Tunde-Daramola commended the approach and perspectives of the conference, especially the lectures delivered. She said: “the approach for which the topics were tackled have enabled me to know more and broadened my horizon. We have so many take home which would bring immense benefits to our women”.

The First Lady of Lagos State and Chairperson of COWLSO, Dr(Mrs) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the conference, with the theme ‘AWAKE’, was a call for Nigerian women to wake up and stop crying over spilled milk, saying women have so much potential to utilize.