The Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Mr Olusegun Onilude, on Thursday said women possessed enormous powers to make positive change in their homes, immediate communities and the society at large.
Onilude stated this at the First Badagry Women Symposium 2019, organised by the council’s Department of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the symposium was: “Women As Agent of Change’’.
According to the chairman, it is a sad reality that women often underrate the amount of powers they possess.
“I sincerely hope that this symposium shall awaken that spirit in our women.
“It is time our women came together to take their rightful position in our political space.
“So, I wish to add here that to change the way the society perceives the woman, the woman will first have to change the way she sees herself,’’ he said.
Onilude said that his administration would give maximum support to WAPA and restated his comitment to the development of women in the society.
He commended the organiser of the programme, WAPA, for recognising the need to bring women from all walks of life together in Badagry and teaching them how to overcome their challenges.
In her remarks, Wife of the Council Chairman, Mrs Ramotallah Onilude, said that the symposium was a wake-up call to all women to identify their strengths and abilities, notwithstanding the restrictions placed on them by culture and society.
According to her, it is certainly wrong to conclude that women are incapable of doing amazing things.
“We are good managers and multipliers of resources, we are global peacemakers, mothers and housewives, doing vacation-less job.
“Our gender is our strength, so we must not allow anyone put us down,’’ Mrs Onilude said.
In her welcome address, Mrs Risikat Podonu-Hassan, the Supervisor for WAPA, said the gathering was to empower the minds of the women.
According to her, as women, we have to realise the ability to take our rightful places in the society.
“It is time to arouse that ability. We must start to see ourselves as the agents of change that our country desires,’’ she said.
Podonu-Hassan commended the local government chairman for its support in putting all human and material resources together for the symposium.
