Ibadan – The wife of the Oyo Sate Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has called on women in the state to be more aggressive in their advocacy to make their voices heard worldwide.
Mrs Ajimobi said this on Tuesday after a walk-rally with women and secondary school girls in the state as part of activities to mark the 2016 International Women’s Day celebration.
“Every opportunity that presents itself must be optimally utilised to promote our cause.
“We are still very far from the position we desire to be as women. We still do not have a strong legal framework in place that gives women full protection.
“Women are still exposed to dangers and more than any other time, women now appear to be falling into the category of endangered species,’’ she said.
She said that the day was set aside by the United Nations in 1985 as a day for all member nations to celebrate and appreciate womanhood
“This day as well has been set aside to reinforce the vital role women play in the society,” she said.
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Ajimobi said that over the years, women had been victimised in the work place, discriminated against in politics, assaulted and brutalised by men and even stigmatised by the society.
The governor’s wife said that although there had been steps taken by the government at both federal and state levels to raise the bar, these steps would, at best, be described as `baby steps’.
“We need a change and today again, we call for that change. We desire that the society will, according to this year’s theme, step it up for Gender Equality,” she said.
Earlier in a lecture titled “Pledge for Parity” Prof. Stella Ojebode of the Mainstream Gender Unit, University of Ibadan, said that both women and the girl-child must be empowered through entrepreneurship.
She also advocated ways to mainstream women into all the programmes in the state to promote gender equality. (NAN)
