SPEECH DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY, CHIEF (MRS) MERCY ODOCHI ORJI, WIFE
OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2012
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, HELD ON THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH, 2012, AT THE
UMUAHIA TOWNSHIP STADIUM, UMUAHIA.
It is with great joy, as I formally welcome you all to the 2012 International Women's Day Celebrations in Abia State.
I bring greetings from my loving husband His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji, the Executive Governor of Abia State, who has been a formidable pillar of support for women. Your Excellency, Sir, I say thank you. And to our husbands, fathers and brothers that have come to celebrate with us on this special day.
The Theme of this year's celebration is: Connecting Girls, inspiring futures.
This theme is very apt in view of the importance of girls' as baton bearers in our tomorrow's relay race to greatness and service for excellence.
The young girl as a future mother, needs a solid foundation to enable her succeed in life. We should encourage her in education, career choice, adulthood as a successful future wife and young mother.
Our girls can be guided to achieve their full potentials in carrier choice as Astronauts, Pilots, Engineers, Computer Scientists, Medical Doctors, Geologists, Sailors and Diplomats etc.
I'm therefore, calling on churches, NGOs, Civil Society, the academia, Government and traditional institutions, Diplomatic and business communities, donor agencies, parents, guardians, teachers and Abians from all walks of life to lend their support for the success of our young girls.
Today, our society is threatened by high Maternal Mortality rate, absence of fundamental Primary healthcare, more complicated medical problems, leading to high risk pregnancies, low standard and quality of education, increasing prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS and many harmful traditional practices (HTP) of early marriages and female genital cut.
This is a clarion call for the entire womenfolk and all stakeholders to rise up and use the opportunity offered by this celebration and look inwards on how best to make a significant difference and help in this fight of redemption and moral re-awakening among women.
It should be noted that international women's day is celebrated every March, 8th to mark the liberation of women from industrial marginalization way back in 1908 in the United States. And coming back home, our mothers through the famous Aba women's riot of 1929 liberated themselves and their families by marching out against various forms of societal ills and made an impact.
Again, it should be remarked that the womenfolk have at different times in our history fought against denials of voting right, victimization, sexual harassment, evil widowhood practices, oppression, persecution and other societal ills against women in general.
Since assumption of office, it is worthy to mention here that we have encouraged women to form co-operative societies, built and commissioned Skills Acquisition Centre for women, disbursed loans to Abia women through the MOMS Micro Credit Loan Scheme among others.
It is also important to note that the millennium declaration identified gender equality and women's empowerment both as a goal and essential to the achievement of other goals. We should therefore, support all policies that will help promote women's human right.
Today, I charge all women to co-operate with each other and avoid the Pull her down syndrome. I urge you all to encourage one another by being supportive.
Finally, as I welcome you all to this historic event of the 2012 International Women's Day; may I therefore salute everybody especially, members of the Central Organizing Committee and other Sub-Committees who contributed to the success of this great occasion and remind all of us that this awakening of unity among women towards the State and nation building should be sustained.
On behalf of the PDP government of His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji in Abia State, I urge you all to continue in spreading the gospel of investing in women and our young girls for gender equality and a better society.
Happy celebrations.
It is with great joy, as I formally welcome you all to the 2012 International Women's Day Celebrations in Abia State.
I bring greetings from my loving husband His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji, the Executive Governor of Abia State, who has been a formidable pillar of support for women. Your Excellency, Sir, I say thank you. And to our husbands, fathers and brothers that have come to celebrate with us on this special day.
The Theme of this year's celebration is: Connecting Girls, inspiring futures.
This theme is very apt in view of the importance of girls' as baton bearers in our tomorrow's relay race to greatness and service for excellence.
The young girl as a future mother, needs a solid foundation to enable her succeed in life. We should encourage her in education, career choice, adulthood as a successful future wife and young mother.
Our girls can be guided to achieve their full potentials in carrier choice as Astronauts, Pilots, Engineers, Computer Scientists, Medical Doctors, Geologists, Sailors and Diplomats etc.
I'm therefore, calling on churches, NGOs, Civil Society, the academia, Government and traditional institutions, Diplomatic and business communities, donor agencies, parents, guardians, teachers and Abians from all walks of life to lend their support for the success of our young girls.
Today, our society is threatened by high Maternal Mortality rate, absence of fundamental Primary healthcare, more complicated medical problems, leading to high risk pregnancies, low standard and quality of education, increasing prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS and many harmful traditional practices (HTP) of early marriages and female genital cut.
This is a clarion call for the entire womenfolk and all stakeholders to rise up and use the opportunity offered by this celebration and look inwards on how best to make a significant difference and help in this fight of redemption and moral re-awakening among women.
It should be noted that international women's day is celebrated every March, 8th to mark the liberation of women from industrial marginalization way back in 1908 in the United States. And coming back home, our mothers through the famous Aba women's riot of 1929 liberated themselves and their families by marching out against various forms of societal ills and made an impact.
Again, it should be remarked that the womenfolk have at different times in our history fought against denials of voting right, victimization, sexual harassment, evil widowhood practices, oppression, persecution and other societal ills against women in general.
Since assumption of office, it is worthy to mention here that we have encouraged women to form co-operative societies, built and commissioned Skills Acquisition Centre for women, disbursed loans to Abia women through the MOMS Micro Credit Loan Scheme among others.
It is also important to note that the millennium declaration identified gender equality and women's empowerment both as a goal and essential to the achievement of other goals. We should therefore, support all policies that will help promote women's human right.
Today, I charge all women to co-operate with each other and avoid the Pull her down syndrome. I urge you all to encourage one another by being supportive.
Finally, as I welcome you all to this historic event of the 2012 International Women's Day; may I therefore salute everybody especially, members of the Central Organizing Committee and other Sub-Committees who contributed to the success of this great occasion and remind all of us that this awakening of unity among women towards the State and nation building should be sustained.
On behalf of the PDP government of His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji in Abia State, I urge you all to continue in spreading the gospel of investing in women and our young girls for gender equality and a better society.
Happy celebrations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=l6zlxOWUIi0
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