C’River National Council Of Women Society Calls For Women Inclusiveness In National Matters.

By Promise Imoh_

The National Council Of Women Society, Cross River State Branch has called for women inclusion in decision making for effective nation building.They made this call during a press briefing held on Thursday, 12th March 2025 at the Ernest Bassey Press Center in Calabar in commemoration of the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration.In her remarks, Marjorie Asuquo, the State chapter president bemoaned the exclusion of women from critica sectors including policy formulation despite her numerical strength.Marjorie highlighted efforts of the council in projecting the plights of women, emphasizing the importance of empowering women and promoting gender equality, stressing that it is essential for the development of the state and urged the government to make policies that would supports women’s empowerment and provide opportunities for women to participate in politics and more. She says”This month is a month for women, women are being celebrated world wide, so we are here to speak for the women. Women are part of the society, it is even said that women makes up over 50% of the world population and we are very proud that we are this large.Ironically, women are still crying of marginalization in work places.”We have been having series of activities, trainings and conventions trying to make people know the plight of women.”This month is a month that women have opportunity to make the world see what we go through. There is this very popular one we talk of, Belgium 1995, this year makes it 30 years after that convention and the basis of the discussion is about women and poverty, women education and training, women and health, women and environment, women and media, women in power and decision-making. “In all, we are looking at a world of equality, development and peace. We need this so that the world will move forward as it is generally believed that women are pillars for societal advancement.”Speaking on theme of 2025 International Women’s Day celebration, Marjorie called for accelerated efforts in assuaging plights of the Nigerian women.She advocated for abolition of barriers militating against women including increased maternal mortality rates among others. According to the Women Advocate “That is why the theme of this year is accelerate action. we are ordering and we are pleading that those in authority should do more to hasten this process to help us fight poverty among women, health issues so that the world will be a better place to live on” she stated. Enhancing her voice, the Council Past President , Rev. Grace Ekanem noted that the international women’s day celebration calls for urgent action to address the systemic barriers that prevent women from maximizing their full potential.”When we talk about women, we are talking about your mother, wife and daughter. Therefore, all the men in the world are involved in the plight of women. “If you deny the girl child of education, you have denied the whole generation of education, because when a woman is educated, gone are the days a woman was not allowed to go to school , now women have value.“look at Ngozi Okonjo, the WTO Director General and so many other women that have made it, even in our state you can see what women are doing, please stop marginalizing the girl.Let them be educated, let them have those benefits.“Let us encourage our girl child, and also our boy children, because an educated girl child will not go and marry a cultist, let us send them to school it is for all of us. You will see in appointments, five, ten members only one is a woman is it fair?“Inclusiveness, carry us along, a house without a woman is no house, the women know how to manage, we are a very important instrument to the world.“We are encouraging the men, the society to recognize us women and carry us along. in an appointment of 6 people give us 2. Of 7 people, give us 3 because a woman also have something to offer”. She said.Reacting to their demands, the NUJ chairman Archibong Bassey charged women not to give up and also appealled to the government to protect the rights of women. “I want to encourage us as we celebrate women not to ever give up. In that situation, in our families , in the society, in our nation Nigeria we shouldn’t give up no matter how bad it may seem to be.” We are urging government to protect the rights of women, let us also play our part and protect our rights” Archibong noted.