As the world marks the 2021 International Women’s Day, Wife of Ondo state Governor, Her Excellency, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has urged stakeholders across the state to challenge gender inequality, call out bias, question stereotypes, and help forge an inclusive world.
She stated this in her Goodwill Message to Ondo State Women during the 2021 International Women’s Day, noting that the previous year was a difficult one as the COVID-19 pandemic has spared none and was particularly challenging for women.
While thanking women of Ondo state for their compassion and their contributions during the covid 19 shutdown by keeping the home front running, the wife of the Governor who expressed need for women to be better represented in leadership and governance position, promised not to give up the fight for it.
Commenting on the staggering impacts of the pandemic on women – from being pushed into poverty, to loss of jobs as the informal economy shrinks, to an alarming spike in SGBV, the wife of the Governor who has launched the Ondo State Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Yellow Card Initiative among secondary school girls and established SGBV Emergency Response Center with Toll free numbers as part of her commitment to ending all forms of sexual and gender-based violence in the state reminds all stakeholders to play their parts in protecting the right of women and girls.
According to her, the International Women’s Day is also a call to action towards accelerating gender parity and raising funds for female-focused charities, maintaining that it serves as a pointer to the 2021 campaign theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world” emphasised why feminist leadership makes a difference.
The wife of the Governor urged Ondo state women to take up decision-making positions so as to have more inclusive policies that will benefit the society. She said the UN revealed that countries led by women had better Covid-19 outcomes; and successes of leaders, such as Germany’s Angela Merkel, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and Finland’s Sanna Marin remain remarkable.
Mrs. Akeredolu said even though over one thousand women from the 18 local government areas of the State have been given SOLAYO Birth kit this year, to mark the 2021 IWD, the Akeredolu administration will continue to prioritise women socio economic development in the state, train more girls to BEMORE; improve their skills in ICT and solar technology so as to close the gender gap in technology space.
Oluwatobi Fademi
Senior Special Assistant (Media)
