NAWOJ marks IWD, urges equal opportunities for women
By Samuel Luka
Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi state Chapter has reiterated calls for the removal of hurdles against women in order to foster an environment of equal opportunities for them to thrive.
The Chairperson of the Bauchi NAWOJ, Hajiya Rashida Yusuf made the call during a one day training workshop for members held at the NUJ Secretariat Bauchi on Friday.
The call which is coming a day to the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) tomorrow Saturday, according to Hajiya Yusuf is set aside to mark women’s potentials in advancing sustainable development in the global community.
She said, this year’s IWD with the theme “Accelerate Action”, indicated calls for rapid advancements in gender equality while equally encouraging collective efforts from governments, organizations and individuals to remove all forms of barriers impeding women’s progress.
The Bauchi NAWOJ chairperson added that the theme came at a time when all stakeholders focuses on recognizing strategies and tools that drive women’s progress in education, employment, health and leadership.
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She said NAWOJ amplifies success, progress of women at all levels and also focused on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls as well as elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private Sectors.
“We have realized that women are not only more affected by these challenges, but also possess the ideas and leadership capabilities to solve them”, Hajiya Yusuf disclosed.
While stressing that the idea of choosing SDGs to discuss on all SDGs goals that affects women is important to the female journalists, Yusuf maintained that the choice of the topic was aimed at achieving all the goals of the SDGs which is gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, nutrition’s among other goals.
She said, “the Agenda for sustainable development and the 17 sustainable development goals as adopted by world leaders in 2025, embodied a roadmap for progress that our association is aimed to achieve”.
Hajiya Yusuf mentioned that the Bauchi State Chapter of the NAWOJ has been in the fore front of mentoring of women and girls as part of its commitment to develop their skills, because NAWOJ considers it part of its responsibilities to mentor and support women in order to aid their professional development, build their confidence and guide them through challenges of life as they advance in their careers.
The NAWOJ chairperson who appreciated the Special adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, Comrade Mukhtar Gidado for supporting them to celebrate the IWD in a grand style and also thanked office of the office of the SDGs for their support.
She therefore, urged her members and all women and girls across Bauchi state to consider the initiative and support as a positive move to achieving the advancement of women in the state.
While assuring NAWOJ’s commitment in achieving all the goal of the SDGs, Hajiya Yusuf reiterated the determination of her leadership to further show more support to members in the area of training and re-training within and outside Bauchi state in order to achieve the desired objectives.
