The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have advised women not to sacrifice the future of their children in their bid to build a career.
The Kwara Commandant of the NSCDC, Makinde Ayinla, gave the advice on Tuesday in Ilorin during the International Women’s Day Celebration, organised by the Gender Unit of the corps.
He spoke on the theme ‘The Role of Career Women in Sustaining a Violent Free Society’.
Ayinla decried the growing rate of criminal activities in the society, especially among the youths.
He said that the products of abandoned parental responsibilities, most especially by women, was worrisome, saying that there is a need for women to prioritise their families ahead of their careers.
The commandant said that it was part of the topic of discussion during the last International Civil Defence Day celebration, which called for the role of volunteers in the fight against the pandemic.
“Women and children are mostly victims of circumstances, so there is a need for all stakeholders to join hands with the NSCDC to eradicate pandemic and violence in the society,” he said.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mopelola AbdulMalik-Bashir, commended the efforts of NSCDC in the protection of women and children in the state.
The Commissioner, represented by Alhaja Mariam Yusuf, said that the state government would join voices with the rest of the world to create awareness for gender equality and the eradication of gender-based violence.
The Deputy Director, National Orientation Agency, Alhaji Dare Abdulganiyu, traced the genesis of the Day to the year 1908, when about 15,000 women marched in New York City to demand their rights.
“Right to vote, better pay and shorter working hours for women and also to encourage women in the society,” he noted.
The MD/CEO of Food Basket, an NGO, Alhaja Rukayat Olagunju, advocated for equal rights and gender sensitivity for men and women.
Olagunju said that the place of women was no longer in the kitchen and house chores alone, but to also contribute to the development of the nation by active participation in politics.
(NAN)
