Being the address delivered by the First Lady of Ondo State, Chief (Mrs) Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, on the occasion of the 2022 International Women’s Day
Protocols:..
I congratulate you, good women of Ondo State for witnessing another special event that is of great significance to women, the International Women’s Day, which is a day set aside all over the world to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
On a day like this, apart from celebrating female champions in the various aspects of life, it is also appropriate to celebrate ourselves as heroes for standing tall despite the cultural and socioeconomic difficulties that we face on daily basis in this part of the world. That we carry on with unbroken spirit despite the many challenges is a loud testimony to the fact that women are a special breed.
It is true that the challenges we face are many and tough and it appears that we have developed a thick skin for our troubles in many respects, however, instead of continuing to suffer these social, cultural and economic troubles in silence or giving up on the possibility of winning in the long run, we must begin the process of breaking free from these man-made challenges that are delibrately designed to stop women from reaching comparable heights.
This process of freeing women from these limitations must begin with us as individuals. In our own corners of the world, we must stand up for ourselves as women, speak up and support ourselves. While the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day -BreakTheBias – encourages us to work towards liberating ourselves, to break the barrier of biases against women, we cannot afford to shy away from playing a role.
Women who enjoy equal freedom as men in other parts of the world did not just sit by and lament. They did not get it by wishful thinking but by the courage of conviction and consistent struggle. It is no longer news that Nigeria’s National Assembly voted against the bills that are supposed to give more opportunities to women to participate in government and politics, another subtle way the men want to continue to dominate women. But the good news is that women are arising and taking the bull by the horns.
As we celebrate this very important day, I challenge our women to rise up, to raise our voices against all limiting traditions and clamour for a constitution that is fair to all, particularly the womenfolk. There is no better time for women to rise and raise collective voice than now. While we do this, we need to remember ourselves that a chain is as strong as its weakest link, which underlines the need to support the weak among us. We need to always assist those who are weak emotionally or materially so that we can win together.
It is in this light that we have remained committed to relieving our pregnant women with material support tagged “Solayo Kit” on yearly basis during the International Women’s Day so that these vulnerable women are not left to bear the harsh economic burden of the moment alone. Solayo Kit contains complete maternity delivery kit for the needy but expectant mothers and it is distributed annually to women across the 18 local government areas of our dear state.
We have kept faith with this gesture since it began in 2018 and we will continue to do this as a constant reminder to our women that the Akeredolu-led administration takes seriously matters that affect women. Let us do likewise in our own little ways so that we can remain a strong, united whole. Let us help ourselves while holding hands as champions that we are.
Let’s rise and #BreakTheBias!