Women
Widows Day: Mrs Wike, Others Admonish Rivers Widows
It was indeed a con
vergence of widows from the 23 local government areas of Rivers State at the Ministry of Justice Auditorium, Port Harcourt recently to celebrate this year’s International Widows Day.
International Widows Day was established by the Loomba Foundation, India, to raise awareness on the issues of widowhood. It assumed an international status with the United Nations ratifying it as a day of action to address poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependants. Subsequently, in 2010, it was officially recognised by the United Nations and observed on June 23, every year.
In line with the theme of this year’s celebration, “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”, speakers were drawn from various fields to educate the widows on how to address their plights by making themselves very visible and their plights well known. Topics like Legal Rights of Widows, Invisible Health Challenges As It Relates To Widows”, were handled by renowned persons in different fields, with a call for the widows not to see themselves as being disadvantaged but to strive and use their status to serve God and humanity. This they said can only be possible when the widows improve themselves both financially, educationally and otherwise.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof Rosaline Konya, admonished the widows to be prayerful, hardworking and resilient. “You need to know that God is your husbands, if you depend on man, man will fail you but God will never fail you”, she said.
Konya who is also a widow and the State Commissioner for Environment, noted that most harmful widowhood practices were being perpetrated by women and called on the women and the entire society to desist from such “barbaric, un-christian acts”.
Earlier in her welcome address, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr (Mrs) Ukel Oyaghiri, observed that in Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State, widows are often confronted with lives of denial of inheritance and land rights degrading and life-threatening mourning and burial rites and obnoxious harmful widowhood practices. She said, widows across the world are faced with several challenges like poverty, violence, segregation, harmful traditional practices and many more.
Barrister Oyaghiri noted that when a woman dies, the bereaved husband is encouraged to cope with the situation while the reverse is the case when a man dies, stressing that our culture should embrace the Sustainable Development Goals number five, which talks about gender equality, and gives the widow equal treatment as the widower.
The highly elated commissioner called for the empowerment of widows and the support of all and sundry so that widowhood will cease to be a problem in the state. She also asked for the enforcement of “Dehumanising and Harmful Traditional Practices Law No 2 of 2003 which abolishes the dehumanising and harmful traditional practices in Rivers State, adding that any offenders or perpetrators of these inhuman acts should be brought to justice.
In her commemorative message, wife of the state Governor, Justice Suzzette Nyesom Wike, identified with the plights of the widows and urged them to always speak up so that their problems would be noticed and resolved.
She said though the Dehumanising and Harmful Traditional Practcies Law exists, there is yet to be any case recorded in the law court, premised on that law. She therefore, asked for the effort of all in the state to educate, enlighten, popularize and enforce the law across the nooks and crannies of the state, so that widows can have peace and tranquility.
Justice Wike appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, NGOs, companies and all well meaning people in the state to join in the advocacy for the eradication of obnoxious and harmful widowhood practices in the state, adding that various stakeholders and companies should develop programmes aimed at empowerment and sustainability of widows and their children within their host communities.
The first lady also advised women, particularly the young ones to equip themselves in every possible manner like going to school, learning a trade or business or engaging in any economic activity to boost themselves.
In his special message, the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, assured the continuous support of his government to the widows.
The Governor who was represented by Secretary to the State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani, disclosed that to reduce the impact of the problems of widows on the entire household, government will set up a widows’ economic empowerment scheme.
He charged the widows not to bury their talents but make good use of them to better themselves and their families .
The Governor further enjoined them to expose and report any person or group of persons breaking the state’s law on elimination of harmful traditional practices, assuring that appropriate actions will be taken against such person(s). He emphasized his administration’s policy of touching all segments of the society.
Expectedly, the widows were thrilled with the Governor’s promises and plans. The President, Widows Association, Rivers State, Mrs Patricia Weli, who spoke on behalf of the widows, thanked the Governor for the kind gesture. She equally appreciated Justice Wike, the Women Affair Commissioner and all those who made this year’s celebration a memorable one.
Similarly, one of the widows, Mrs Paulina Hillary, thanked the state government for identifying with the widows and pledged her support for the Wike’s administration and promised to use the knowledge acquired at the event to better her life. A parting gift of wrappers and cash were presented to all the widows.
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.
