Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues in collaboration with the Office of the wife of the Governor, Edo State Ministry of Health, Amabara Allison Foundation, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, and Hospital Management Board, commemorated the 2024 International Widow’s Day last week with the theme, “Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality: Strengthening Land and Property Rights”.
The wife of the Governor of Edo State, Dr Besty Obaseki, charged widows on the need to stand up for their rights during the commemoration of the event held at the Festival Hall in Benin City, Edo State, encouraging them to develop the zeal of making positive impact out of every negative occurrence on their lives.
“You need to be determined in every action of your life; don’t allow life situations to turn you down. Always make something useful out of every circumstance,” Obaseki advised.
The First Lady of the state also emphasized the passage and implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, explaining that it is a serious offence to subject widows to suffering or deprive them of their inheritance after losing their spouses.
Dr Obaseki further disclosed that offenders of harmful widowhood practices would not go unpunished as the State Government and the law enforcement agencies are fully set to bring them to book.
On her part, the Commissioner for Social Development and Gender Issues Hon. Christabel Omoh Ekwu encouraged the widows to build up their self confidence in order to enable them fight for their rights, advising them to resist harmful traditional practices related to widowhood.
She asserted that being a widow is not a self-made circumstance but a situation that elicits sympathy encouraging members of the society to show love and compassion to women in such situations, adding that the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law is totally against the subjection of women to ill treatment when they lose their spouses.
One of the widows, Mrs. Patience Efe, from the Widows of Excellence Association, appreciated the wife of the Governor and the Obaseki-led administration for its unwavering efforts towards the inclusiveness of the vulnerable in the society as part of its developmental goals.
The highlight of the event was a medical outreach which consisted of a full medical checkup and the administration of drugs to all the participants with the presentation of food items and cash support.
