The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development says it is the responsibility of all citizens to work together in order to tackle the rampant occurrences of violence in the country.

The Minister, Sen. Aisha Alhassan said this at a news briefing to commemorate the 16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls in Abuja.

This year’s theme was “Together we can end gender based violence’’ and the sub theme was “Leave No One Behind’’.

According to her, both men and women are victims of violence in the society today, however the forms of violence being experienced by women and girls include acts that entail specific assault on their sexuality and such must be addressed by all.

Alhassan said the main objective of the campaign was to provide a platform to prevent violence against women as well as protect their rights.

“Violence against women and girls takes emotional and psychological forms often resulting in perpetual stereotypes and women’s subordination to men.

“Women and girls may suffer violent acts in the household and within the family which could be habituated by socio- cultural attitudes and traditions,’’ she said.

According to Alhassan, violence against women is human right issue that extremely hinders women and girls in contributing to national development.

She added that violence against women impacts and impedes progress in many areas which includes poverty eradication, combating HIV and AIDS, peace, as well as security.

The minister noted that it was crucial to improve the well-being of women and increase their freedom of action and influence.

She said 16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls in Abuja, was executed by a coalition of partners led by the ministry to fulfill the goals of the campaign.

“The ministry is presently supporting the development of multi-sectoral coordination and response mechanism at the national, state and local levels to facilitate intervention that addresses gender based violence issues under the VAPP act.

“Advocacy and capacity building had been employed as strategies to address the high prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in the country.

The UN Secretary-General, Mr Autonio Guterres who was represented by the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Edward Kallon said violence against women, harassment including harmful practices were major barriers to the fulfillment of human rights.

“It is time to advance our collective action to end violence against women in all regions, it takes all of us to work together in our countries and communities.

“It is time for us all to unite so that women and girls will live free from harassment, harmful practice and other forms of violence.’’

Guterres called on policy makers to invest more in women in areas of empowerment and capacity building.

The UN Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Comfort Lamptey further appreciated the effort of the Nigeria Government in tackling violence against women and girls.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nov. 25 to Dec.10, was set aside to mark “16 days activism to end violence Against Women’’ annually.

culled from pulse.ng

culled from pulse.ng

47-year old Zainabu Hamayaji has proven that she is a mother worthy of emulation after news of the brave act she did to save her daughter filtered online.

Hassana, a young Hausa girl was only 12 when her mom gently pushed her into a deep ditch in the backyard one morning in August 2014.

Her mother,in a note worthy manner, continued her class act for nine months until Nigerian soldiers recaptured the town in March 2015 and helped bring out the young girl from the ditch.

Contrary to what Hassana thought, the push was not to kill her, but instead to save her from being becoming a child bride to the Boko Haram foot soldiers who had just invaded their hometown of Madagali in the northeastern Nigerian state of Adamawa.

Since 2009 when the death of its founder Mohammed Yusuf triggered the insurgency, hundreds of women and girls have been abducted, sexually violated or killed outrightly and this is what his brave mother tried to save her daughter from..

In April 2014, the high-profile abduction of over 250 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok in the neighbouring Borno state made the headlines and Hassana’s family were paid a visit by Boko Haram.

Knowing all of this, Hassana’s mum, the 47-year old Zainabu Hamayaji hatched a plan to outsmart the terrorists as well as save her four children.

She had guessed that the Boko Haram gang would consider Hassana, her eldest daughter to be of marriageable age and would kill her husband. She was soon proved right.

According to her, “They killed my husband and many of the men here”, she tells this reporter in a school-turned-camp in the mountainous town of Gwoza, declared by the insurgents as the seat of their caliphate in August 2014. “Some of my children ran off but the rest of us could not leave the house because they were killing people running out of town. So many people were dying and couldn’t escape.”

Many of the other women gave out their daughters to the insurgents in exchange for food items and property stolen from other villages so they could take care of their remaining children – some reluctantly and others happily. But Hamayaji was unflinching in her resolve and methodical in her act to save her daughter.

To protect her daughter, she loosened her hair to look mentally unstable and began to roll on the floor for several hours a day outside their house and in various parts of town. She urinated on herself. She defecated on her clothes. Then she rubbed both all over her body. Her neighbours avoided her just as flies swarmed to her.

The Boko Haram extremists did not buy her act  at first. They had come knocking after a villager mentioned that Hamayaji had a daughter old enough to be carted away into captivity. She denied it and for that and  they beat her mercilessly, dislocated her shoulder with their guns and knocked out a tooth from her mouth.

Still, she stuck to the story she had planned and so did her two young children.

Talking about her act, she said: “They didn’t believe me so they came every day. I continued to strip myself naked, unplait my hair, roll in trash, put shit on my hair to make it seem like I was really mad.”

“They asked my two children if I was okay because they kept doubting me”, Hamayaji reminisces. Both kids – aged seven and ten – swore that their mother’s insanity had begun a while ago and that she used to frequent a psychiatric hospital in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Soon the terrorists could not help but believe her and they inscribed a warning on the house to deter their Boko Haram comrades who might subsequently visit, from attacking the Hamayajis.

This was because they believed that if they killed a madwoman or took her child, their military operations would fail. One of them reminded the others about how their people killed a mad woman on another raid and her curse affected them badly.”

While in the ditch, Hassana cooked the food items that her mother had pushed in along with several jerry cans of water and matchboxes for her to cook and survive. She defecated in nylon bags that decomposed around her.

According to Hassana: “The soldiers asked if I was a wife of Boko Haram and I said no. They didn’t believe my story until we went to the ditch.”

The now 14 year old girl, was profuse in her gratitude for the depth of her mother’s love  and kept thanking her over and over again.

Soon, they were carted away in a solider vehicle and this is where she tells her story.

culled from fabwoman.ng

Veteran actress, Victoria Inyama, took to her Instagram page on November 23, 2017, where she thanked God for making her celebrate another birthday. She wrote about surviving cancer and had a successful cancer surgery back in 2006.

“I woke up on this day in 2006, 9 hrs surgery, d doctors & nurses woke me up with Happy Birthday songs. D treatment is d most painful, still hurts, they didn’t think I would make it so he let them in……………….So am on d journey of D Self & here I Am, I don’t want Pity, I need You to Praise God for Me. So my hair doesn’t fully grow, so I cut it and wear it confidently.

“My darlings, Try Not to let anyone steal You from You, it’s hard when you’re in it……….You are All you’ve got. To anyone dealing with Cancer, it’s mind over matter. My Prayers are with You. God is still God. Domestic Violence/Mental/ Emotional/ Psychological Abuse /legal Bully/ Keep me in your prayers too. Thank You for all your lovely messages. God bless you All for me. Am humbled #living#loving#laughing #learning#gratefulheart,” she wrote

source: pulse.ng

The Bellanaija.com founder and a mother-of-twin daughters, Uche Pedro, has taken to IG to share a throwback photo of herself taken when she was heavily pregnant and gave an insight into her personal experience with the 9-months journey.

She wrote:

#ThrowbackThursday to when I was a beautiful pregnant with twins lady. Seriously though, I was one of the glowing ones.

Getting pregnant was very difficult but pregnancy for the most part was amazing. A reminder that life is far from perfect but gratitude for the blessings is major key.As always, praying for anyone hoping for a bundle of joy. As your heart desires, the blessings will come sooner than you even imagine. Just like that. Amen.

She shared:

Hello WORriors! It’s #ThrowBackThursday and we are throwing back these old photos of Singer, Waje!

See photos below;

Famous cultural musician and player of talking drum called “Gangan”,. Aralola Olumuyiwa, popularly known as “Ara’’ has expressed her readiness to build a drum academy meant to groom talented youths and individuals across the globe and also to promote creativity.

Ara told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the project was expected to commence in January, 2018.

She said that her purpose of initiating such project was to expose talented youths in African drumming and other cultural heritage for them to be able to compete with their peers from outside the country.

The renowned drummer said that foreigners could learn about the African culture and style from the academy.

She said,

“It will be an arena where people from across the world can acquire knowledge about the African culture, tradition and indigenous training in drumming, dancing, drum making and other creative works.”

“The academy estimated to cost N600milion on completion; will be first of its kind in Africa. It will be a one-stop cultural destination.”

“I am a cultural advocate, I love my culture and I am proud of it anytime, anywhere.

According to her, culture is very strategic to human existence; culture is an identity that shows the originality of a person.

She advised Nigerians, particularly, parents to inculcate moral and cultural values in their children.

“It is very important for the young generation to embrace and uphold the African culture. They should not allow it go into extinction.”

“Parents should stop imparting western culture into their wards.”

“Rather, they should teach them to respect, appreciate, value, embrace and be proud of their culture anywhere they find themselves,” she said.

Ara said that the academy would have an auditorium with the capacity to accommodate 1,000 guests, a library, a museum, an aquatic park, an event centre, classrooms, hostels, and cafeteria and guests’ chalets.

She appealed to individuals, corporate organisations, philanthropists as well as government officials at federal and state levels to support the project in other to reposition domestic tourism in the country.

culled from pulse.ng