The wife of the governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has said the era when women were being maltreated was over in the state, saying all the laws protecting their rights are now being implemented by his husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
She said Ekiti has been recognised as a state that has the political will to safeguard the rights of the women due to the laws enacted by government to give them leverage in the society.
In the area of political appointments, Mrs Fayemi stated that governor Fayemi has been complying with the 1993 Beijing declaration to inject the culture of gender equality into the state’s body polity.
Mrs Fayemi spoke in Ado Ekiti on Monday during an event commemorating the 2019 International Women’s Day.
She said that the event ought to have been celebrated on March 8, but was postponed for coinciding with the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Mrs Fayemi said the government was more committed to the implementation of the gender-based violence provision law, equal opportunities law, child rights law and other safety policies that protect the rights of the women folk.
She advised women not to feel intimidated or shy to cry out while in distress, saying laws are there to fight for them when oppressed.
” You have a governor in Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is a feminist and who respects the rights of the women. He believed in you and he is ready to fight for you.
“How can a girl child be gang-raped by a group of boys or a woman be beaten up or victimised by seizing her property after losing her husband? All these can’t be tolerated under this government.
” We also salute women for the role they played during the last election, this accounted for why the ruling party performed well in Ekiti.
“If you look at the results of the last elections, four women were elected into the House of Assembly and one for the House of Representatives.
“Our government will continue to rally round you for Ekiti to be safe for our women and girls”, she said
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Foluke Adeyemo, said apart from empowerment, Fayemi’s government had also initiated policies and laws like multiple births trust fund, child rights act and gender-based violence prohibition law to protect women and make them relevant in the state.
“This programme affords us the opportunity to reflect on the giant strides women have made and to reflect on their problems and how to address it. So. Women must be united for them to earn more respect and dignity in the society”, he said.
