Obaseki Empowering Women for Global Competitiveness - John Ewah

 

 ' Gender Balance' Obaseki Empowering Women For Global Competitiveness.

An Opinion By John Ewah 

In a world where women have been subjects of several oppressive and discriminatory policies, Governments especially in the developed climes are changing the narratives and enacting laws that foster egalitarian co-existence among all gender.

Governor Godwin Obaseki has keyed into this progressive trend devoid of segregation, in driving a socio-politico and economic atmosphere that allows women a competitive advantage in the State.

In his quest to empower women in the State, the political appointments so far made by Governor Godwin Obaseki, from Commissioners to Special Advisers, from Senior Special Assistants to Special Assistants, have adequately reflected gender balance, as women make up over forty percent (40%) of his cabinet.

Women, like men, can achieve and record giant strides in their professions and chosen careers, as well as display remarkable expertise in their various disciplines. Countless years of human history bear testament to this. Edo Women in particular, such as the revered historical Queen mother, Idia Ni Iye’ Esigie, like the Amazonian women, and the martyred Saint Joan of Arc of France, was a ‘giant’ of her age, as she was known to have led men into battles. The need therefore to resonate the importance of women in nation building has become sacrosanct, as women have continued to make remarkable strides in their various disciplines.

It is the belief of Governor Godwin Obaseki, that women, when empowered with the necessary tools, can maximise their potentials. Some of the giant strides recorded by his administration have come from agencies under the supervision of women. The EdoBEST and EdoJobs initiatives which has become successful models for many Nigerian States and beyond bears witness to this fact.

Like a Mexican proverb says, “The house does not rest upon the ground, it rests upon the woman”. Any form of support rendered to the ‘woman’ therefore, is a support that re-enacts a firm and solid foundation for the home. It is against this backdrop that over five hundred (500) widows were recently awarded financial grants in support of their various trades and informal businesses by Governor Godwin Obaseki, through the Office of the Edo State Sustainable Development Goals.

Through sheer determination to better the lives of Edo women, the Obaseki administration has continued to attract financial support from bodies and institutions to improve small and medium scale enterprises owned by women in the State. The recent cash support initiative for widows was a donation from Access Bank Nigeria Plc. in support of Edo State Government’s efforts in boosting businesses and enterprises run by unskilled labour force in the State especially as it relates to the livelihood of women and children.

These women empowerment initiatives have attracted commendations from various groups in the State who opine that women are needed at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamics and re-organise a society that is inherently dependent on the female gender, to not only ensure the continuity of the human species but also to contribute invaluable quota to nation building. As such, the education of the girl-child and the empowerment of women, and by implication, children, become cardinal to the survival of the human race.

Governor Godwin Obaseki has demonstrated this through his commitment to the welfare of women and children in the State. Edo women today are excited about the Governor's efforts in ensuring women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored. Empowering women means empowering the girl-child and children in general who in turn become the vehicle that shape the future of the society we so desire to live in.