As part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), an advocacy group, Pa Philip Akintoye Development Foundation (PAPADEF), has called on the federal and state governments to enact laws to protect widows from being shortchanged of their husbands’ properties.
Mr. Akintoye Kehinde Festus, founder of Pa Phillip Akintoye Development Foundation (PAPADEF), made the call during the group’s International Women’s Day event themed, ‘Innovate, Inspire, Lead For Change’, which took place weekend.
He maintained that the traditional system in Nigeria did not support widows, hence the need for laws in their favour, saying, “The Nigerian traditional system does not support the widow, because, there are so many things that happen after the demise of the husband.”
He stressed that a situation where the family would take over the widow’s inheritance, while others would even send her and her children away and take over the husband’s properties was against natural justice.
“What we are trying to do is to get across to the National Assembly. We want government to legislate a law that will favour widows in the areas of inheritance after the demise of the husband,” he said.
Akintoye maintained that Nigeria had begun to change in terms of culture relating to widowhood, stating that he was optimistic that the bill would scale through.
While responding to the issue of gender inequality in Nigeria, Akintoye stated that Nigerian culture had improved from what it used to be, pointing out that he foresaw a woman becoming a president in Nigeria in the nearest future.
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“The state of gender inequality in Nigeria is better compared to what it used to be. There is so much awareness now, especially in the South-West. But, the North really needs to do the same.
“We have had women in government that did better than men. I believe that if we can have a woman as president, things will change for the better for the nation,” he added.
Also speaking, Nneamaka Jenifer Omo, Assistant Director Research and Head, Human Rights Education Department, said that women’s right were being violated because of lack of right information that would enable them make right decisions.
She tasked women on changing the way they think about themselves and learn how to love and believe in themselves.
She stated that aside from being a mother and wife, women should have vision on the kind of women they want to become, saying, “I advocate for girl-child education and I want every woman to be financially empowered, as financial handicap has led most women to where they are today.
“You don’t need to be in marriage to be the best you can be. Aside, being a mother and a wife, women should have vision on who they want to be.”
Other panelists also advocated for more women involvement in what used to be men dominated fields for better gender balance.
