Activist decries high poverty rate among Nigerian women

All for one, One for all

“There will be no nation without women; hence when women are impoverished, the nation will also be impoverished” – UI’s Vice Chancellor.

A human rights activist, Mashood Erubami, has decried the high rate of poverty among women in Nigeria.

Mr. Erubami, the Director, Centre for Human Rights and Ethics in Development (CHRED), said this in a lecture he delivered at the 5th Professor Awe Annual Inspirational Lecture held at the University of Ibadan.

In the lecture titled “Women: Politics and Poverty, Implication for the Nation,” Mr. Erubami said that a country where more than half of its population representing women are poor is not a healthy nation.

He said when majority of women in any country are poor, they would resort to negative practices, such as prostitution, drug peddling, women trafficking and stealing.

To confront the challenges posed by poverty, Mr. Erubani called on women to forge active alliance and drop the idea of “we can’t do it and hoist the confidence of we can”.

The activist also called on the government to move beyond the ratification of international covenants on women and girls’ rights, by taking concrete steps to implement such rights.

In his remarks, Isaac Ajewole, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said the issue of gender must be of concern to all.

“There will be no nation without women; hence when women are impoverished, the nation will also be impoverished,” Mr. Ajewole said.

He said the university subscribed to the policy on gender because of the role of women in nation building.

Credit: PREMIUM TIMES   Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/99074-activist-decries-high-poverty-rate-among-nigerian-women.html