..says BEMORE is bridging gender gap in digital technology
As activities for the 2023 International Women’s day ended yesterday in Ondo state, wife of the governor, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has called on mothers to raise their male children not to disregard their female counterparts as a way to achieve gender equality in the society.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2023 International Women’s day celebration in Ondo State, which was held at the International and Cultural event centre, The Dome, on Thursday, the Ondo First Lady, stressed the need to educate both the male and the female children to understand that the society belonged to every gender and none should be treated as superior to another.
She maintained that mothers were responsible for who their male children become in life, and charged them to educate their girls about their status in the society as not inferior to the male gender.
“We have to start at the very tender age to let them know how the world is structured, and let them know that they’re not in any way lesser than their brothers.
“Our boys are how they are because of us, if you raise your boys to disregard women, so be it, don’t come here and complain”. She said .
Speaking on #EmbraceEquity in innovation and technology for gender equality”, The Founder of the BeMore Empowered Girls Foundation, hinted that the initiative had provided a platform to expose rural girls to technology, hereby, achieving equity.
She averred that, digital skill and literacy were gender neutral and the Bemore initiative had successfully proven it.
According to her, to function as responsible and independent young women, was why other life-enhancing skills like baking, makeover, adire making, bags making amongst others, were included in the Bemore two weeks bootcamp’s activities.
Mrs Akeredolu , who said she remained unapologetic for championing the cause of womanhood and at the same time didn’t hate the boy child, lamented the level of gender bias in all spheres of human endeavors, which only women can rise against.
She explained that the event supposed to have come up before now but delayed due to the UNCSW67 Conference, noting however,that the annual distribution of SOLAYO safe delivery kits was held across the state on March 8.
She emphasized the need to sustain the initiative as it has saved the lives of lots of pregnant women in the grassroots.
She described it as another way of achieving equity in maternal healthcare for indigent women.
She, therefore, appreciated the State government for sponsoring the SOLAYO kits and the delegates to the UNCSW67.
The event featured presentation by Ondo delegate members to the 67th United Nations Conference on the Status of Women in New York.
They informed that the special side event organised for participants from Nigeria, revealed that Ondo state stood out among the comity of States, on inclusion of women in digital technology as many were still strategizing on how to achieve it.
According to them, this feat was achieved through various initiatives of the Wife of the Governor, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, which includes BeMore Empowered foundation, widow’s care , amongst others.
In their separate goodwill messages, the invited He4She guests, including a leadership consultant, Mr. Jeff Abidoye, charged women to rise against challenges and break impeding barriers, as they affirmed that the partriachal nature of the African society didn’t want women’s voices to be heard but they should always strive to subdue subjugation.
They submitted that the greatest challenges in Nigeria were caused by men , noting that men occupied majority of the elective and appointive positions whereas women formed higher number of voters. “But immediately we win elections, we relegate mothers”.
Mary Agidi
Special Assistant to the Governor on Media(Office of the First Lady)
March 31, 2023
