Vanguard of Okun Women (VOW) Initiative, a community-based organisation, has distributed food items to over 200 women in Kogi.
The items were distributed across five local government areas of Kogi West senatorial district.
The VOW President, Mrs Bolanle Bola-Olorunsaiye, told journalists on Saturday at the distribution venue in Kabba, that the gesture was part of activities to celebrate VOW’s one-year anniversary and to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IWD is celebrated annually on March 8, and this year’s theme is, ”Gender Equity Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”.
She described VOW as a community-based, non-political, non-partisan, and non-religious organisation, formed by formidable Okun women leaders on March 8, 2021, across the five local government areas of Kogi West zone, including Oworo community in Lokoja LGA.
According to her, they were women leaders committed to giving women in Okunland push and encouragement toward participation in leadership and political roles, for sustainable development, peace and security.
She explained that the organisation’s vision was to strive to create a future in which all Okun women/girls would be viewed, valued by their community, and equipped to fulfill their unique purpose.
”It mission is to empower women in achieving their ambitions, create an equal world, fulfill their potentials and be resilience in the face of adversity,” she said.
She emphasised that Okun women were in need of activities that would provide the needed tools to help build the future of their children and generations yet unborn.
”It is our belief that no change can be effected by folding hands and complaining.
”One of VOW’s objectives is to create a group of resource persons that can be inspirations to our future leaders, influence our youths and build Okun land of our dreams.
”Together, we will protect women’s rights in all circumstances, foster their capabilities in every field of endeavour, and make their voice heard in decision making.
”We will promote and nurture women and girl-child for the position of leadership, and help make generations of successful leaders,” Bola-Olorunsaiye said.
In a lecture, Mrs Funke Eseyin, who spoke on ”Women and Mentorship in Commemoration of Women’s Day 2022”, urged womenfolk to be united and believe in one another.
She encouraged women to develop competencies, prove and convince that they remained capable and could be trusted.
Eseyin stressed the commitment of VOW through mentorship to promote gender equality, empower women and girl-child and remove any barrier that prevented the full participation of women and girls in public and political life.
”Let us work together to promote ourselves as women, let us support our fellow women to become better and rise above limitations,” she said.
Also speaking, the President of Okun Market Women, Hajia Aishat Isa, thanked the VOW president for the initiative toward advancing the course of women in Okunland.
She urged the women to be productive and not stay idle, but engage in petty businesses for their own benefit, and that of their children for a better society at large.
