NAN-HG-21
Women
By Emmanuel Acha
Enugu, March 8, 2018 (NAN) The Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, has urged women in the state to unite and fight increasing violation of their rights.
Emehelu made the call in Enugu on Thursday during the celebration of the 2018 International Women’s Day at Okpara Square.
She said that in spite of relevant conventions, charters and provisions of the Constitution which protected women from certain discriminatory acts, such violations still persisted.
The chief judge said that it had become imperative for women to unite with a view to ending every form of discrimination against them.
She urged them to take advantage of the multi-door court system in the state to ventilate their grievances, adding “every discrimination against women must be eliminated.
“It requires efforts of men and women for the status of women to change from what it is now. You should exercise your rights and ventilate your grievances in public courts.
“Be determined to play your part in accelerating women’s progress,” she said.
Furthermore, Emehelu said that the law had established that widows had equitable share in the property of their deceased husbands.
“The Constitution has abolished discrimination against women. Women now have the right to inherit in equal share the property of their parents.
“However, in spite of the provisions of the law, there must be enforcement to give it teeth.”
She appealed to women utilise the services of relevant non-governmental organisations in the state to seek redress.
Emehelu noted that lack of awareness had been the bane of curbing some of the unhealthy practices against women, adding that laws were not enforced in isolation.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs Cecelia Ezeilo, said that the current administration had incorporated the welfare of women in its cardinal policies.
Ezeilo said that women had a fair representation in appointive potions in the state.
She said that the state government had created a high level of awareness among women across the state, adding that all efforts were being made to curb gender disparity.
“This administration has, from inception, incorporated the welfare and empowerment of women as one of its cardinal policies and has ensured that women have fair representation in appointive positions,” Ezeilo said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2018 celebration is “Press for Progress to Help Accelerate Gender Parity”.
Highpoints of the event were a march-past and exhibition of agricultural produce by women groups in the state. (NAN)
EOA/NKO/NKO
===========
Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo