A group photograph of participants at the sensitisation programme held by Lokiaka in Wiiyaakara Community in Khana Local Government Area of the state.
From Douglas Blessing
A non Governmental Organization under the aegis of Lokiaka Community Development Centre, have sensitised women from the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State, on extant laws protecting them (women) against harmful cultural practices.
The group had the sensitisation programme in Wiiyaakara Community in Khana Local Government Area of the state, at the weekend.
The Executive Director of Lokiaka, Mrs Martha Agbani-Barinuazor, said the women conference with target to “increase women access to Justice, an overview of existing obnoxious customs and laws”, was held in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls.
She said: “Ogoni women have alot of obnoxious cultural practices that is affecting their existence and on that note we thought it wise to bring in experts, those who understands what laws are to talk to these women, to advise them, to conscienctise them on how they can actually address or seek for redress on most of these violations they face from their homes, from the society.
“We are here today as Ogoni people to look inwardly at issues that affects us: what are those gender violence that Ogoni women face and so we have over 200 women representatives in the hall from all the Ogoni kingdom who have come to participate in this event.
“We believe that after this section women will know all the laws they have been violeting all this while around them and know how to seek redress and have a new leaf of life and more of their human dignity been restored”.
A legal practitioner in the state, Stephanie Ekpebulu, while sensitising the Ogoni women on the laws, stressed that if the vulnerable women can make use of the laws, it will reduce and possibly eliminate those harmful laws against them.
Ekpebulu, who is with Working for Family Stability Initiative (WOFASI) said they are at the conference to equip the Ogoni women with the right knowledge so that they can stand up for themselves when their rights are about to be trampled upon.
She stressed “We read out the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law to them. The law was just past in Rivers State on November 11, 2020. We just hope they are going to speak up against these obnoxious practices because since 2003, this harmful dehumanization practices have been abolished in the law.
“Ignorance of the law has made some persons sit by and watch their rights been trampled upon. But with what they have learnt today, I believe that they are aware of these laws”.
Some of the women that spoke with The AUTHORITY lamented the harmful practices against them in the area.
A female native from Wiiyaakara in Khana Local Government Area, Numene Nwikpo, said in her community, women not allowed to air their opinion in the midst of men, especially on issues that affects the generality of the community.
Nwikpo explained “In our community widows are still forced to carry their hair uncombed for years as part of respect for her late husband and depending on the year the community gives her freedom to shave it out”.
Speaking also, Mrs Charity Nwiido, a native of Luawe community, regretted that young girls whose husbands died early, in her community are not allowed to willingly remarry.
Nwiido lamented “In my Luawe community, “If you are the first daughter in some homes now they will not allow you to marry. And if you insist, either the woman will birth children and her children dies or she will die.
“Another challenge is that if you are single, and you struggled without support from any members of your family and when you are ready to marry, if same brothers that refused to support you are not there, you will not be given out for marriage”, Nwiido added.
However, the women called on the state government to come to their aid and save them from the unfavourable tradition, adding that “Lokiaka is always sensitising us but the community should be enlighten on the consequences involve in such harmful act”.
