Women
Commissioner Offers Insight Into International Women’s Day
This is the speech of the Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Joeba West on the occasion of the celebration of the International Women’s Day in Port Harcourt.
The International Women’s Day is observed globally by United Nations member-states including Nigeria. It is a day set aside to celebrate women’s achievements and the roles women play in the development process.
This celebration dates back to March 19, 1911 in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. It was to mark the day the Prussian King promised to introduce votes for women in 1884. This promise gave hope for equality but it was not kept.
In 1975, the United Nations drew global attention to women’s concerns by calling for an International Women’s Year, and later an International Women’s Decade. It was also in 1975 that the first World Conference on Women was organised in Mexico City and March was declared the International Women’s Day.
In 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations’ Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, observed on any day of the year by member states, in accordance with their historical and National traditions. For the United States, International Women’s Day has been observed on 8th March since 1975. the day is traditionally marked with a message from the UN Secretary-General.
This year the United Nations theme for the International Women’s Day is “A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence against Women”.
The African Development Bank theme is “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum”.
These themes are interwoven and will be jointly adopted for the celebration of the 2013 International Women’s Day in Rivers State.
This is because our focus is on the implementation of the Gender Policy, the 35% Affirmative Action and the emphasis we are placing on Gender as a core concept for achieving sustainable development.
Gender mainstreaming in Nigeria will improve women’s participation in politics, leadership, education, health economy and all sectors of human development. People-oriented development must include females and males without bias or discrimination, contributing their quota according to their abilities towards development.
Rivers State women have never relented in building strong alliances for inclusion in governance and decision making. They have contested for elective positions and have effectively participated in campaigns. A few have emerged successful but more efforts need to be galvanized to involve more women in the mainstream of development.
The National Gender Policy posits that, promoting gender equality is globally accepted as a development strategy for reducing poverty levels among women and men, improving health and living standards and enhancing efficiency of public investments.
Gender equality is not only a human rights issue but a prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable development.
The United Nations theme focuses on violence against women which is a violation of the rights of women. This crime occurs regularly in our society because men take advantage of the powerlessness of women economically, polticiallly, socially, culturally and perhaps physically.
The elimination of violence against women is still farfetched. Wife battery, rape, forced prostitution, trafficking in women are forms of abuses that further dehumanize the women folk. To end this threat on women, men and women must unite to create awareness for the achievement of behavioural change.
The Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) a brain-child of the wife of the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Her Excellency, Dame Judith Amaechi, is using this medium to raise awareness on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (MDG3) and the elimination of violence against women in Rivers state at this year’s International Women’s Day.
As we join Nigeria and the International community to celebrate this event the Ministry has planned a state Summit which will hold on March 26th, 2013. The Summit will feature Seminars on the International Women’s Day themes, the inauguration of the State Council on Women Development and Special Maternal Health Programme by the Medical Women’s Association Rivers State Chapter.
It is therefore my pleasure to implore all women and indeed men to join us to commemorate this special event.
Thank you and God bless.
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.