By Gloria Osemudiamhen
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani has been commended for her efforts in addressing issues affecting women in Edo State through her interventions in areas of gender-based violence, supporting initiatives that uplift the vulnerable, promotion of women’s economic and political inclusion.
The commendation was conveyed on Mrs. Anani by the League of Women Voters (Edo State Chapter) during a courtesy visit on the Office of the First Lady at Government House in Benin City.
Mrs. Anani, who was visibly elated, appreciated the guests for their contributions in empowering women in the State. She encouraged them to be harmonised as one voice and come together to pursue a common goal, saying, “When we say giving a voice to the woman, it has to be one voice in unity. I want to see more women in parliament, I want to see more women as captains of industries, I want to see more women sit down and dialogue and move the Nation and this State forward”.
She advocated mentorship in grooming the younger women to redefine their goals and aspirations thus, “When you’re going up the ladder, and you fail to groom the others to climb the ladder, by the time you’re coming down, you will have no body to support you. So whatever agenda or advocacy you try to push out there, you must bring the other women up. I hardly see a group of young ladies advocating for inclusion. It is better you begin to groom them to be active in politics”.
The Chairperson of the Group, Barr. Anthonia Asagba appreciated Mrs. Anani for all she does for women in the State. She advocated for the actualisation of the 74 special seats bill for women at the National Assembly. According to her, their objectives include the design and implementation of advocacies on the awareness, which will garner support and mobilizes stakeholders to champion the 74 special seats bills for women.
The Programme Director of the Group, Grace Ese Obakina, while commending Mrs. Anani, said, “Between the short period of time that you’ve been in office, we’ve seen all that you do, and this has given us the interest to want to be a part of your moving train, because everything about women inclusion has been what we stand and advocate for. Our organization is dedicated to empowering women across economic, political, and social spheres, aiming for holistic national development.
“In Edo State, our Chapter has achieved multiple milestones, including comprehensive women’s education, mobilizing, actively encouraging women to register for pre-election year. We work at the grassroots to see how women will be eligible voters. We carry out comprehensive sensitisation on PVC collection and engage fully in the electoral process. We carry out trainings where we try to redefine the self-esteem for women”.
