Forum solicits stakeholders partnership on women empowerment
By EricJames Ochigbo
The AbleGod Woman Development Forum (AWDF), a humanitarian organisation has called for partnership to empower women to be self-reliant across the country.
President of the forum, Amb. Okedeyi Gafer made the call at the inauguration of the forum’s Exco and Agriculture and Food Security Empowerment Programme for women in Abuja on Saturday.
Gafer particularly called on the Wife of the President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu to support the initiative to better the situation of women in the country.
She said the short and long-term goals were for women to have a better life, and to live in peace, unity, and freedom.
“Also for women to be bold in education, security, finance, and agriculture.
“This is because, in any nation where women cannot flourish perfectly, the nation will not flourish.
“So we need to support women, we need to empower women; we need to bring women to a greater level so that our country Nigeria could be one of the best countries to live in.
“We seek support from our governments most especially Her Excellency, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, the mother of the nation. We need you to support us to reach every woman in the country.”
Garfa said that the interests of the men were also captured in the forum because men benefited the most when women were at peace and had stability.
The National Coordinator of the forum, Princess Adesola Adetoluwa, said that 5,000 officials drawn from across states and local government areas in the country were set for the inauguration.
According to her, the forum already has 17,000 registered women across the country who would be benefiting from the empowerment programmes.
Adetoluwa said that the idea was to reach out to the poor at the grassroots and to make them self-reliant.
“We have come to eradicate poverty from among women starting from the grassroots because we see that many women are suffering at the grassroots level.
“It is not everything that is being given at the national level that gets to the grassroots and when it gets to the grassroots, some women still do not benefit,” she said.
Also speaking, the National Director for Children Empowerment, Mrs Sarah Tarfa, said that there were plans to support children across the country.
Tarfa said that children are the leaders of tomorrow therefore there was a need to prepare and support them for the future.
In her remarks, the National Director of Media and Communication, Ms Tian Wanger said that women were vulnerable and were often not properly cared for.
Wanger said politicians often run to the women during elections to get their votes and abandon them after the election.
She said that the forum had mobilised women down to each pulling unit to empower them to stand firm on their rights.