Fides Media Living the Faith
. . . Advocates for Gender Equality, End to Domestic Violence; Visits Nise Motherless Babies Home
By Ifeoma Ezenyilimba
An NGO known as Excellent Ladies of Valour and Steel (ELOVAS) Foundation International (formerly Excellent Ladies Forum (ELF) International), on Sunday, March 10, celebrated the 2019 International Women’s Day with the theme: Think Equal Right, Be Bold for Positive Change and Better the World.
The mother chapter of the NGO, ELOVAS Foundation, Awka Zone I, alongside other over 40 chapters of the foundation, keyed into the annual 8th March International celebration, and for convenience, celebrated hers on March 10, at the Gorgian Villa, Amawbia, Awka South L.G.A, Anambra State.
In her keynote address, the founder/ President of ELOVAS Foundation International, Queen Lady Ngozi Ekwunife, described the annual March 8th Celebration during which the amazing leadership, social, economic and political achievements of the women were celebrated, while championing the course for gender equality, as the focal point in the course for women’s rights.
Queen Lady Ekwunife, described the central theme of Better the Balance, Better the World, for the 2019 international event as apt, saying that a gender balanced world was a better one. She stressed the need for gender equality in political appointments, homes and workplaces, saying that safety of both genders should be given priority in places of work.
In their various seminar presentations on the topic “End to Gender Inequality, Domestic Violence and the Roles of Women in Families”, three members of the Awka I Chapter, Lady Genevive Ewuzie, Lady Chinelo Nwankwo and Lady Christie Ugonwa, advocated for gender equality and end to domestic violence, which the foundation said had posed threat to many families and the society at large.
The speakers posited that domestic violence which were often prevalent among married couples, could be linked to gender inequality, where the husband claimed superiority over the wife as the man of the house, and consequently battered the wife. They observed that some cases of domestic violence took their roots from the children, who grow up watching their fathers beat up their mothers in their presence, and when they grow up into their immediate families, they turned out to equally batter their wives, the same way their fathers did to their mothers.
On possible ways to put an end to domestic violence, Lady Ewuzie noted that the solution should take effect from the family, where parents would train and inculcate the values of love and care into their children, as well as live out those virtues for them.
Adding her voice on End to Gender Inequality, another speaker, Lady Nwankwo observed that gender inequality often started from the family, where the parents tend to discriminate in the tasks they delegate to their children. She wondered why some parents insisted that some household chores like cooking and washing of plates were meant for the girls, instead of delegating the tasks to both sexes?
She called on parents to live up to their roles, and educate their children on the norms and values of the society for a better and balanced society.
The speaker noted that cases of domestic violence such as intimidation, assault, sexual abuse, rape, psychological trauma and property damage at workplace should be discouraged, even as the employers should ensure that safety measures were in place to put an end to domestic violence.
As part of the activities to mark the 2019 Int’l Women’s Day Celebration, the excellent ladies, made a charity visit to Nise Motherless Babies’ Home, Awka South L.G.A, where they donated gift items such as foodstuffs, toiletries and provisions to the home
Camera shows some of the children of Nise Motherless Babies’ Home and the gift items donated by Excellent Ladies of Valour and Steel (ELOVAS) Foundation, Awka Zone I to the home.