Women
Better Life For Women
Women cutting the cake at International Women day celebration organised by Le’Meridien Hotel PH
For the past one month, I
have been saddled with a responsibility I never craved. I had to educate my brothers and the men around me on the need for them to write their will, stating clearly who their next of kin is.
Of course, I’m not a lawyer, with an indepth knowledge of the procedures for the drafting of the legal document.
I had never also been bordered about how a man wishes to dispose his property and holdings after death, not with the believe and impression that someone, particularly, a woman who suggests the making of will to her husband wishes him dead.
But all that have changed since last month when a close friend lost her husband and her life has been literally turn apart by her late husband’s relations. As soon as they learnt about the man’s death, they rushed to his house, laying claims on every available property. But for the woman’s family, she and her three daughters would have been homeless today as they were disposed of all their man’s belonging because she has no male child who is the only one culturally authorized to inherit the man’s property.
She was however told that she could inherit those property only on the condition that she gets re-married to a member of her late husband’s family.
Its been a fierce battle between my friend and her husband’s family since then as she refused to get married to any of her late husband’s relation and couldn’t fold her hands and watch people take away all that she laboured with her husband to acquire while she and her children are allowed to die in penury.
My friend is not the only widow caught up in this dilemma. The plight of widows in different parts of the country is very pathetic. Some of them are condemned to lives of rejection, trauma, deprivation and poverty. In many communities, a wife is usually accused of being responsible for her husband’s death. She is subjected to all kinds of dehumanising treatment including sleeping in the same room with her husband’s corpse for some days, drinking the water used in bathing her husband’s corpse and many more.
Their challenges are innumerable. Apart from morning their dead husbands, and agonising over where the next meal will come from, they are subjected to pathetic living conditions vulnerable and unprotected life.
They are left out of government’s policies and legislations, forgotten in the scheme of things. that is why one finds the effort being made by the Vicar General, Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Msgr Cyprain Onwuli, to ameliorate the sufferings of widows in the diocese very commendable. He was moved by shocking, gory tales of some widows he heard in 2004 to start a widows association in his former parish, St John’s Catholic Church, Rumukwurushi. Today, the association which started with only about 50 widows, has over 500 members and has spread to more than twelve parishes in the diocese.
The priest has, with the help of his friends, rendered medical, legal, financial and spiritual assistance to this category of vulnerable women.
At the diocesan inauguration of the body recently, the pirest who was highly elated by the progress made by the widow in the areas of skills acquisition, said his dream is to establish the widows association in all the parishes especially the rural areas where there are larger number of widows so that more lives will be transformed.
He called on government and other well meaning individuals to join hands in making life more meaningful for widows in our society. He noted that, “those in authority have not done much for the poor, especially the widows. They give to those who have in the name of charity and those ones they help do not help each other.
He appealed to the authorities to improve the welfare of widows to help them cushion the effect of the demise of their husbands.
Similarly, the President of the association, Lady Priscilia Ekeke, appealed to government at different levels to assist in empowering the widows, especially the indigents ones. She called for the abolition of some obnoxious laws against widows in many states of the federation.
Indeed, life could be made more meaningful for widow if the society actually sees the need to help them. Many widows die in frustration having been left in the lurch in their hours of needs. There is need for government to improve their welfare by creating more opportunities for them.
Widows also should help themselves. They should not see their state as a state of incapacitation whereby they cannot do anything to help themselves but depend on others for their livelihood.
Calista Ezeaku
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
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.
