Wife of Dr. Wole Oluyede APC Aspirant, Ekiti State
By Adewumi Ademiju, Ado Ekiti
To curb intimidation and sexual harassments of women in our society, relevant stakeholders must put heads together, for proper orientation of women and reformation of abnormal cultural practices.
This was the position of Mrs. Olukemi Oluyede, wife of an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Wole Oluyede.
Mrs. Oluyede made the remark while speaking with journalists yesterday at the campaign Directorate of her husband in Ado Ekiti.
She said female child must be encouraged in many ways to achieve good ambitions, emphasizing that the roles of women in home building cannot be overemphasized.
These roles according to her are enormous, vital and could only be successfully achieved through confidence built with self esteem, uprightness and good sense of direction.
Noted that future of a female child lies in the quality of upbringing received from the parents, mostly mothers, wife of the APC governorship aspirant explained that a mother who is expected to be the role model of the girl child must live a fulfilled life.
Oluyede said that our society needed a shift from old cultural practice that relegated women to the background.‘
She however expressed her disappointment on the level of ignorance displayed by some women who are expected to be home makers but preferred to live negative lives which encouraged their male counterparts to treat them as toys.
She lamented, “Women should not be seen or treated as recreational toys. Unfortunately, some women due to ignorance believe they must live irresponsible lives to make ends meet.”
The wife of the aspirant therefore implored stakeholders to begin to orientate women on how to develop confidence, work and live on merit.
Reiterating laudable women programmes packaged in her husband’s Ekiti Rebirth Agenda, Mrs. Oluyede said the programme aimed at promoting Ekiti women to enviable heights, would be activated as soon as Dr. Wole Oluyede is elected as the state governor in 2018.
She further emphasised that women under Ekiti Rebirth Agenda would be self sufficient and become sources of pride to all within and outside the state.
On sexual harassment, Oluyede who charged women on proper and good conduct as role models, said those qualities enable them lay good foundations for greater future rather than becoming objects of ridicules’’
The advocate of great virtues of Ekiti women, therefore encouraged women in Nigeria to adopt similar habit, saying “In developed countries, women are treated with respect and dignity; they believe in dream it and be it. Women are not second fiddles. Sexual harassment is not a joke there.”
She therefore counseled that there are decent ways to survive economic hardship without succumbing to the tune of intimidation from men.
“Your gender should not be the basis of your promotion in life. Women must not see themselves as entertainment commodities. You must strive to build your confidence. Though some alleged economic situations for their unreasonable acts, but there are ways to survive through hardwork, and dedication. Let’s keep encouraging our girl child, orientate them that they are not sexual objects,’’ asserting “If you can dream it, you can be it. It’s an individual thing.”
While noting that parents/guardians must educate their girls, inculcate self discipline, decency and uprightness in them before maturity, she aptly pointed out that government too has a role to play by reprimanding any perpetrator of gender violence.
