Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday, led members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) on an awareness walk against domestic violence, with a call on women to speak up in defence of other women.
The awareness walk, held on the major streets of Alausa, Ikeja, is part of activities heralding the forthcoming National Women’s Conference (NWC) of COWLSO scheduled to hold from October 26 to 28, 2021 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
During the walk, COWLSO members displayed placards of various inscriptions such as “Shun Gender-based discriminations; Use your words, not your fist; Blame the rapist, not the victim; The Lagos woman is an awake woman; Ji, Ma Sun; Security is everyone’s business, be vigilant; Speak up, seek help, stay safe; It should not hurt to be a child. End Child Abuse; Say no to drug addiction; We say no to terrorism, kidnapping, banditry; stop rape; We have no other country, let’s defend the country we have,” among others.
Speaking in an interview during the walk, the First Lady said it was about time for every woman to look out for the welfare of other women and inspire others.
“The essence of this walk is like a clarion call for all women all over Nigeria. The theme of COWLSO NWC this year is Awake. It is a call for all women so that they can wake up; wake up to be a voice to the voiceless; to ensure that the economy moves forward; to not think that they don’t have a role to play.
“Every woman, whether you are a housewife, whether you are a professional, whether you are a career woman, whether you are a student and so on, we all have a role to play. So, it is about time we awake from our slumber; we lift each other up; we inspire other women. This is the essence of what we are doing,” she said.
She added that the walk also aligns with the theme of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child celebration, which was commemorated on October 11.
“The theme for the International Day of the girl child has to do with digital awareness and so for our women, whether you are a market woman or not, this is the time we must all become tech-savvy; this is the time we should align with the ‘Z generation’; this is the time we need to speak up; this is the time for every woman whatever you are doing, wherever you are, you need to lend your voice and help to inspire other women out there,” Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said.