Building Bridge Foundation has appealed to government at all levels to accord priority attention to empowerment of women and children for sustained advancement of the country.
Mrs Maimuna Chionuma, President of the Foundation, which is into the welfare of orphans and widows, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of an event to commemorate Mothers Day on Saturday in Lagos.
According to Chionuma, women and children hold the key to the economic advancement of nations but expressed concern that in some parts of Nigeria, the girl-child is being prepared for marriage and not innovations.
“My advice to the government is that they should try and build the capacity of women and encourage them to become people to reckon with in the society.
“If you do not build the capacity of women, the society is down. Build women and children and the nation will have a great future,’’ she said.
Chionuma said that women were most hit in times of conflicts and crises, adding that they suffer different kinds of injustice.
She said that as a lawyer, she had handled several cases of in-laws dispossessing widows of all belongings after demise of their husbands.
Chionuma said her Foundation had fought for the welfare of widows for over five years and was collaborating with “Women for Christ Network’’, an NGO to give hope to suppressed and oppressed women.
Apostle Blessing Norbert, founder, Women for Christ Network, while narrating her ordeal, said she lost her husband 11 years ago and the bitter experiences gave her the passion to support widows and orphans.
She said the event was aimed at celebrating mothers, as well as to confer awards on reputable personalities, to entertain widows and give them gifts in order to give them a sense of belonging.
“We try as much as we can to encourage widows, to put a smile on their faces and let them know that they can become who God wants them to be irrespective of whatever that has happened in their lives.’’
Also speaking at the event, Evangelist Chioma Adeoye of “Gilead’s House of Answered Prayers’’ lamented the sharp practices being melted to widows in Nigeria, while advising young windows to remarry.
“The greater number of people that call themselves widows in Nigeria are not widows because Bible recognises people from 60 years of age to be widows, if you are not up to that age, go and remarry.’’
She commended the organisers of the event and appealed to all tiers of government to evolve programmes to empower widows.
“Government should support them in areas of housing and empowerment,’’ she said.
NAN reports that some women, couples and pastors who had distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour were conferred with awards.
The awardees included Aposttle Chukwudi Enoch, and Chionuma.
Fabrics, bags of rice, cartons of soap and detergent, processed foods and other items were distributed to the widows.
Some of the widows who spoke to NAN expressed joy as well as commend the organisers of the event for giving them a sense of belonging. (NAN)
