By Elijah Ugani
Children of Rural Africa, (CORAfrica) in partnership with the Catholic Women Organization (CWO of Ogoja Deanery) held a one day public lecture on the theme #BREAKING THE BIAS: Gender Equality Today for Sustainability Tomorrow; as part of its activities to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day.
The event commenced with a road walk by the women which took off from Mount Carmel Secondary School, Igoli-Ogoja to the Thomas McGettrick Institute of Technology (old TTC).
At arrival, the event began with series of lectures on the need and importance for women to rise to the challenge of Gender equality so as to break the bias against women.
Declaring the event open, the Vicar General Administration of Ogoja Diocese, Spiritual Adviser of the Ogoja diocesan CWO and Founder of Children of Rural Africa, Rev Fr Peter Obele Abue PhD, noted that there is an urgent need for women to raise awareness on the need for gender equality for sustainability of the woman and the girl child.
Fr Abue pledged CORAfrica’s commitment to collaborate with women organizations such as the CWO.
In his words “There is an urgent need now more than ever to raise awareness on the need for gender equality for sustainability of the woman and the girl child especially in the face of ritual killings of our girls in Ogoja land and maltreatment of women especially widows in households.
“CORAfrica as an organization is ever more ready to collaborate with women groups like the Catholic Women Organization (CWO) to help in the basic education, healthcare and economic empowerment of children and families to enable them thrive in thier respective locations.”
He thanked the Deanery President of the CWO in Ogoja deanery Mrs Grace Modey for helping to organize her members towards a successful celebration of the IWD 2022.
On her part, one of the speakers, Mrs Ann Modey who spoke on the theme, Breaking the bias through Security and Child education, cited Nehemiah’s prophecy and called on the women to rise to the challenge of ensuring that normalcy returns to Ogoja.
She posited that the walls of Ogoja has been broken. And that it has never been as bad as it is currently. She decried the incessant ritual killings of female children and noted that children are highly in danger.
Mrs Modey noted that sometimes women inadvertently act as accomplices to their children in cultism and prostitution through their inactions. She however, charged them to be open to their female children and tell them the truth about sex education.
In another development, Mrs Anna Agba whose lecture was centered on Breaking the bias through Security and Awareness programmes, admonished women to desist from attitudes that lead to child trafficking as it has the tendency of impacting negatively on the overall well-being of the girl child.
She listed some of the causes of child trafficking to include: Ignorance on the part of parents, poverty, greed, unnecessary competition among women, illiteracy, school dropout among other reasons.
She cited a scenerio in Ogoja where a woman who lost her husband had used her three bedroom apartment to keep eight teenage girls and used them as sex workers for men. She lamented the situation and called on the police and law enforcement agencies to be alert in the area to abet such situations.
In his closing remarks, the National Programme Manager of CORAfrica- Nigeria, Mr Attem Udejor expressed his appreciation to all participants and enjoined the CWO, UNCHR and the general public to always work together in support of CORAfrica activities.
The event featured presentation of certificates of honor to deserving women who have distinguished themselves in different categories.
The awardees were:
1. Hon. Rita Ayim for Women participation in Political Activities and Awareness.
2. Mrs Grace Modey for Women participation in Church Activities.
3. Mrs Cecilia Ogar for Women activeness in the Civil Service
4. Mrs Theresa Omara Achong for Women participation in Community Development and finally
5. Women caring for Refugees and IDPs given to the UNHCR, Ogoja Sub Office, which was received by the Protection officer of UNHCR Mrs Molestsan Mmone.
