ECHOES of Women in Africa Initiative yesterday marked the International Women’s Day with a solidarity march round some designated streets of Benin City calling on government to shelve any plans to further postpone the March 28 and April 11 2015, general elections.
Led in the March by the spokesperson of the NGO, Louisa Ono Eikhomun, the women posited that the women’s day cannot be celebrated when there is no peace and security in the country. They called for a smooth election process as according to them women are often made to suffer untold hardships when things go wrong during elections.
Standing on the merit of the Beijing platform for action, Eikhomun stated that while the entire communities suffer the consequences of armed conflict and terrorism, women and girls are particularly affected because of their sex and status in society. She therefore called on the federal government to stop the insurgency ravaging the North East as well as seek means to make all regions vote in peaceful atmospheres.
The women called on the federal government to look into the plight of internally displaced persons as well as the missing Chibok Girls who need to be returned safe and sound into the comforting arms of their parents.