International Women’s Day 2022
“Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”
#BreakTheBias
We at African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) celebrate every woman today and always. WOMAN, You make the world a beautiful place and exude love in the world. You’re smart, unique, beautiful, brainy and brawny. You bring about order and peace, you work round the clock ensuring growth and development. Even when denied the opportunity to showcase your talents, abilities and capabilities. you nevertheless work from your little corner impacting humanity daily. You are the solution to the world’s problems. The earlier the world realizes this the better for humanity.
You’re a dreamer, a believer, a doer, an achiever, an inspiration. YES that’s who you are, Woman!
You are fierce, bold, daring and unbroken!
Being a woman itself is a superpower!
You’ve got the power!
You’re a queen, you rule the world
Life has no existence without a strong ally in ‘Woman’ in every stage of life starting from motherhood to wife, from sister and finally a daughter. Can leadership achieve much without a woman? This is the missing link, the reason for the crisis in the world and the merry go round, yes they need women. Woman, you are needed in the leadership equation to balance, for peace to reign in the world. It is no secret that the future is female.
On this special day we want to let you know WOMAN that we acknowledge your power, that you’re special, appreciated and needed. We at AWLA
are ready to activate your power. – your right is your right and that we at AWLA will go the extra mile to protect your rights and interests pro bono ( free of charge) anď give you a voice. This is our way of breaking the bias
We urge you to encourage, support and lift any woman around you in your own little way and you’ll be amazed at the extent that little help can go to save a whole family – and or community or nation- this is a way of breaking the bias
International Women’s Day 2022 theme is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”
Gender equality is the key to sustainable development and a sustainable future. The SDGs highlight that Goal 5 is the key to attaining all the other goals. We must be more intentional and deliberate in attaining gender parity.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women, marked annually on March 8 and it’s the day
dedicated to honour women’s socio economic achievements.
It marks a call to a gender equal world – free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination and one that is, inclusive, equitable, diverse and participatory while differences are valued and celebrated.
It also marks an invitation to commit to empowerment of women, as well as raise funds to support women and girls.
It offers an opportunity for reflection on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played a major, exemplary and or extraordinary role in the history of their communities and countries.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity with significant activities such as gender parity campaigns, rallies, seminars and symposiums carried out worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women.
The date was chosen to commemorate the day women in Soviet Russia commenced protests for the right to vote which was granted in 1917. It acknowledges the value and the importance of women in our lives and all around the world – as moulders of destinies, home makers and builders, peacemakers, dogged fighters, selfless servants and sacrificers for humanity, workaholics, bridge builders, great leaders as well as their intuitiveness, resilience and doggedness.
The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. We are not unaware of the bias, however, Knowledge of their existence is not enough, action is needed to level the playing field. What action are you taking today? Join us to Break the Bias!!! Bias, conscious or unconscious, makes it difficult for women to forge ahead in their personal lives, family and careers. The National Assembly has recently revealed to the world the level of bias against women in voting out all the five Gender Bills seeking inclusiveness, participation and parity for women. These Lawmakers are our Fathers, Uncles, Brothers. Husbands, Inlaws, Colleagues and Friends, but they failed us. The shock is maiming! That even in settling for the crumbs, we could be this humiliated, haba! WOMEN wake up from your slumber, power is never given, you’ve got to fight for it! It’s time to use the power you wield.
You’ve got the greatest political strength ( over 49% women population) but we failed to utilize it. It’s time to use it. No sentiments! No stomach infrastructure, No divide and rule- No No and No
United, we can break all bias and barriers
We can stop settling for the crumbs.
Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.
We must take individual and or collective deliberate and intentional action to break the bias or the bias will break us. YES it’s time to BREAK THE BIAS!
Break the bias now!!! BREAK BREAK AND BREAK THE BIAS NOW!!!!
LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN, BREAK THE BIAS!!!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!!!
Mandy Asagba
President
African Women Lawyers Association ( AWLA)
3/8/2022
+234 913 500 0501
+234 903 740 4272
www.awlanigeria.org
Source:
UN.org
The demand for an end to the series of killings recorded in Port Harcourt, Rivers State was further pushed by members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the African Women Lawyers Association local branches on Wednesday.
The protest, spearheaded by the Women in Rotary, Port Harcourt South, had 77 groups and individuals marching the street in a solemn walk against the recent murders of women in the state.
For the right to life, the women walked
Since the beginning of September, Nigerians have be inundated with chilling reports of cold blood murder of young women in hotel rooms following a similar pattern—strangulation.
A motel located in the Rumuola area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was on Sunday sealed off after the body of a young woman was discovered in one of its rooms.
It was gathered that an unknown man had lodged in the hotel with the young woman.
The incident was the latest after another young woman was found dead in a hotel last Saturday in Obo, Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
The Protesters’ Demands
We say NO to these acts of violence and demand JUSTICE for the slain women and return of a peaceful and conducive social environment to our State. We,in the light of these violations of the rights of our women and girls have therefore embarked on this Peace Walk to STATE AND DEMAND as follows:
A thorough,unbiased and speedy investigation by the Police into all reported cases of killing of women in hotels and Motels in Rivers State and the arrest and prosecution of the culprit(s) and accomplices within 14 DAYS of this Publication.
2.A Public apology by the Police as regards the statement they made that was reported in the media branding the victims of these killings prostitutes without any proof whatsoever.
3.The mandatory installation of CCTV cameras and other necessary security gadgets around hotel premises in the State.
4.The proper identification of all Guests and details of every visitor received by their Guests while in the hotel.
5.Institution of new universal hotel policies that would include capturing of guests and visitors data, recording gadgets and equipment,among others.
6.Police emergency numbers to be posted on all hotel rooms and emergency lines at reception desk.
We therefore call on the Police to intensify their efforts and to setup dedicated phone lines and an Emergency response Unit for female victims of homicide and Sexual Violence.
On Hotel proprietors to cooperate with the Police in their efforts to fish out the killers of our women and girls and to report all shady or suspicious characters promptly to the Police, while training their staff on security measures. On members of the public, especially the women in Rivers State to be alert and avoid any questionable clandestine meetings and report any suspicious person to the Law enforcement Agencies.
We must be our sisters’ keepers!
In conclusion while we are aware that the State Government has commenced action on this issue, we urge that it should be accorded utmost priority at this time. No effort should be spared to bring an end to this menace which is very disheartening and therefore requires very serious and urgent interventions by all and sundry. We must not forget that the woman is the heart of the nation and when you hurt a woman, you hurt the entire family, State and the Nation.
The time for Action is now. SAVE OUR SOULS!