As the world marks International Women’s Day with the theme ” Accelerate Action: calls for rapid advancements in gender equality”, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Imo, Dorcas Foundation for Women and Girl child has unequivocally condemned discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence and all kinds of abuse against women and girl child.
Speaking to newsmen in Imo, the founder, Dorcas Samson Achi stated that sexual harassment and domestic violence against women is on the increase, giving instance with the trending Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Uduaghan’s sexual saga and the several domestic violence against women resulting to murder and heinous injuries on wives and cocubines especially in the southeast.
She noted that the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over unhealthy sexual assault by the Senate President is unacceptable, partial and an attempt to silence women’s voice against abuse at all levels.
The Woman Advocate stated that women should be given a pride of place and an equitable environment to maximize their full potentials in education, work places, corridors of power and different parastatals, adding that the significance of the Women’s day celebration is the need to accelerate action in support of women to ensure their education, empowerment, health and safety.
She vehemently condemned sex for grades in schools, saying that the school being an academic environment should offer a safe atmosphere for growth and learning, not for sexual harassment, abuse of women nor taking advantage of poor performance of female students.
“What is a lecturer teaching his student by demanding for sex to manipulate or upgrade her grade? This evil has gone a long way in damaging the dignity and integrity of these students as well as given them a bad orientation. When a student can sleep with different lecturers to pass out from school, she would believe she can get a job, an appointment and a headway by sleeping with the employers and men in different positions of authority to get what she wants. This further imbibes a negative culture culture in her which may be transferred to other people including her children”.
Achi challenged patriotic individuals who seek for development of every nation to join forces to creat a gender equal world, a world free from discrimination, marginalisation, bias, stereotypes and push for a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.
She advocated for gender equality in the family, community, work space and politics, arguing that difference should be valued and celebrated as we make conscious efforts towards collective advancement.
The Feminist urged the government and political leaders to raise awareness about women’s discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence against women and invest in women’s advancement as well as take urgent actions to forge gender parity.
She utilized the opportunity to Extol women’s achievements in the educational, political and socioeconomic development of the nation, saying that Nigeria as a nation has benefited immensely from the impacts and inputs of women towards human capital development, nation building both at the grassroots, state and national levels.
