Women march for their rights
By Allwell Okpi


March 9, 2010 02:50AM
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Hundreds of women marched to the Lagos State Government House to demand that the right of women be promoted in the country.


The march which was organised on Monday by Women Arise, a non-governmental organisation, was to mark the International Women's Day.

It was not a women-only affair, as some men, including Wole Soyinka, Pat Utomi and Tunde Bakare actively participated in the rally which started on Allen Avenue Ikeja.

The protesters, in their white T-shirts, chanted all the way, hoisted placards with inscriptions like: ‘Women's rights now!', ‘Stand up for women', and ‘Turai stop defaming womanhood.'

Opening the remarks at the government house, Professor Utomi, who is the board chairman of Women Arise, said the struggles of women had a bearing on the development of democracy.

"We know that the cause of democracy has been advanced by the struggle by women to assert their democratic rights. We remember the struggles of women groups around the world and that struggle has come home to our country where women are concerned about the future of their children," he said.

"They are concerned about this time when this country is logged in this challenge of dealing with mass unemployment, at a time killings are taking place randomly across our country, we wake up every morning and a number of people have been slaughtered, Rwanda re-enacting itself on a daily basis in a part of our country where four, five, six million children roam the streets with no education, and pose a time bomb for our country. Many of those who are supposed to be leading us are playing games with the future of the children of these women and the women have chosen to arise to say enough is enough."

Tunde Bakare, who heads the Save Nigeria Group, thanked the governor for halting the weekly state executive council meeting which was on-going, to attend to the protesters.

"Thank you for demonstrating that government must be, not just responsible, but responsive to the people. We are glad that you decided to attend to the people first," Mr. Bakare said.

The president of Women Arise, Joe Okei-Odumakin, read a letter containing their demands and handed it to the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, to deliver it to the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan.

"It is saddening to know that today there are still lots of abuses and discrimination against women in Nigeria ranging from poor work condition, battering, forced child marriages, high and scandalizing maternal mortality, genital mutilation, exclusion in politics, non-implementation of statutory policies that promote women's right, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of women in banks and non-payment of maternity leave allowances," said Okei-Odumakin.

"Our march today is part of our collective efforts as women to demand our rights and to also call for the abolition of all forms of discrimination and violence against women."

Their demands listed in the letter include the implementation of a policy on women; creation of credit-guaranteeing scheme for women, the aged and children; provision of crèches in work places; payment of maternity leave allowances and encouragement of women to participate in politics.

After receiving the letter, Mr. Fashola promised to deliver it and pledged his support for the promotion of the rights of women.

"I will certainly deliver on this letter to the acting president, as you have instructed me to," adding jocularly, "and this will be at no postal fee."

The governor stated that the role of women in the society cannot be under-estimated and that in recognition of that, the Lagos State government in the last decade has encouraged women participation more than any other government.

"Our government since 1999 has provided opportunities of women participation more than any other government," he said. "In the legislature, we have women. If you look at our magistrate courts and our high court, you will notice a large representation of women. In fact, men are becoming the endangered species in the Lagos judiciary."

While listing other ways in which the Lagos government has promoted women's rights, Mr. Fashola said that 70 per cent of the about 30, 000 people who have benefitted from government's microcredit scheme are women; commissioning of three hospitals exclusively for women and children, with five more to come, aimed at providing 800 new bed spaces for women and children.

"There's a lot going on and I assure you that as long as these issues are on the front burner, the government of Lagos State and I will ensure that the right of women are promoted," the governor said.