Do Not Disgrace Your Gender, CAN’s First Female Officer Counsels Women

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

First Female Officer of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) since its establishment in 1976, Rev. Uzoaku Juliana Williams, has counselled women on the need for proper discharge of their duties, particularly in public offices.

She said women must see the need to bring their chairs to the table of negotiations by empowering themselves and becoming knowledgeable about burning issues that concerns their future and destiny.

Williams who spoke yesterday at a multi-faith summit on promoting religious freedom and security which was organised by Sew Freedom- Nigerian Women Lead the Way, in collaboration with International Religious Freedom Roundtable and Leah Foundation, said mothers must hold the torch and light the way for young girls to follow.

“Do not disgrace our gender when you’ve been elected or appointed into public offices. Get empowered, get educated. Look for what is needed in playing the game and equip yourself. Patriarchy does not disqualify women on grounds of gender, but technically in the qualifications that are lacking.

“You can’t afford to come to the table as a novice when things are discussed. How do you then make an impact?

“Let’s take our torchlight with us and light the way for our young girls. Let’s teach them that the have what it takes to be leaders and to hold positions of authority and not assistants or deputies as is always the case” she said.

In the same vein, General Lady Superintendent of CAN- Women Wing, Dr. Elizabeth Akinadewo in her power “Christian women’s participation in religious harmony for peace in Nigeria: challenges and prospects”, emphasized on the need to collaboratively tackle the challenges women face and which have hampered their growth and development.

She said these include patriarchy, security and safety risks, lack of resources and logistical provision stereotyping and misconception amongst others.

For lasting solutions to the challenges, Akinadewo said “there’s need to change patriarchal structure and allow women to participate towards national growth and development, community engagement, policy advocacy, international support and donations and multi faith summit in promoting religious freedom and security”.

Organizer and President of LEAH Foundation, Dr. Gloria Samdi Puldu explained that one of the issues causing insecurity and other social vices is religious intolerance, hence the need to gather women of different faiths to a round table discussion.

She said: “We are here today to gather Christian women leaders, Moslem women leaders and other faith women in Nigeria to sit down on a round table, so that we will be able to share and deliberate on issues that concerns the issues of security in our country, especially when it regards religious freedom.

“We know that part of some of the issues we have in our country that is causing insecurity is that one of it is that religion is part of the issue and we have come together as multi-faith women leaders to sit and deliberate on how we can work together, collaborate and be able to sow freedom for each and everyone. Everyone has a constitution right and freedom to practice the religion that he or she wants to practice.”