The need to allow women participate in the decision making process for a better society and to shun all forms of violence against them have been stressed.
Programme Director, Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative, implementing the Stop Violence Against Women and Girls in Delta State, Mr. Peter Olayinka stated this in Warri South Local Government Area during the monthly coordination and consultation meeting with community leaders and their partners from the State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development including market women.
The project is from the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) with Warri South as the pilot Local Government in Delta State.
He said that in the instance where women would be given a voice in the community, local government and at the State level, there would be positive changes in the society, adding that in this part of the world, women had been almost completely relegated to home services such as taking care of the children and cooking.
Olayinka, who explained that the Project was all about strengthening institutions, women’s voices, rights and ending violence against women, noted that their activities in Warri South were geared towards sensitizing community leaders on why women should have a voice and be at the same table with men during decision making.
While advising men not to correct their wives with harsh voices or violently but sit together and make decisions that would affect their family positively, Olayinka said that what men were struggling to achieve, women could provide soft ways towards addressing them.
He stated that the objective of the organization was to promote and deliver cost effective, culturally acceptable and sustainable health services, education and social development.
He highlighted other key responsibilities of the Project to include strengthening the effectiveness and impact of women-led and women focused organizations in addressing gender based violence through capacity building and mentoring.