Women
The Girl Child Has Great Potentials – Perm Sec
Since October 11, 2012, the day has been marked as the International Day of the Girl Child. Like the reason behind the marking of other international days, the United Nations, UN, has embraced the international day of the girl child as a powerful advocacy tool. It is used to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Issues like child marriage, education inequality, gender-based violence, reproductive health, climate change, self-esteem, and the very trending sexual harassment in schools and at homes, are being tackled by concerned individuals, non governmental organizations and governments. Girls are proving they are are indeed unscripted and unstoppable.
With the platform created by this yearly emphasis on issues affecting the girl-child, countries and states for which Nigeria is inclusive now boast of more girls attending and completing schools. Fewer are getting married or becoming mothers while still children, and more are gaining the skills they need to excel in the future world of work.
In furtherance of the course of the girl-child, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, António Guterres, sued for efforts at harnessing her inate potential. “We need to uphold the equal rights, voices and influence of girls in our families, communities and nations. Girls can be powerful agents of change, and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life”. He said.
This year, in total compliance, with the United Nations agenda for the girl- child, under the theme, “GirlForce: Unscripted and unstoppable”, the Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with the Town Planning Film and Actors Academy , arranged a program which had five girls from each of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state to be sensitized on the act of film making.The girls would be trained in acting, directing, cinematography, general film making, script writing and film production.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women affairs, Mrs Atosemi Eson Teetito, said the act of film making training program which is designed to last for three months upon commencement, is an entirely new area of employment the ministry decided to lunch into for Rivers girls in order to showcase their untapped potentials and great skills to the world.
Announcing that girls are breaking the barriers and boundaries posed by stereotypes and succeeding in their chosen carriers, Teetito presents the girl child as one naturally endowed with great potentials to succeed in her chosen carrier despite many challenges, if properly mentored.
“Girls are emerging entrepreneurs, innovators of global movements and creating a world that is relevant for the girls of tomorrow to succeed”, She said, calling on well meaning individuals to encourage girls everywhere to innovate and to take charge of their future.
Teetito further explained that her ministry used the opportunity, to raise its voice in support of the call to create more opportunities for girls in every sector, especially increase in access to girls education like their male counterparts.
She was of the view that such moves would totally eradicate all forms of gender based violence against women and girls as well as put an end to forced marriages of the girl child.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Town Planning Film and Actors Academy, Mr. Prince Ogbondah, has called on the youth; the girls in particular, to take advantage of the fast growing entertainment industry to cash into the business side of the industry especially the motion picture sector popularly known as Nollywood.
In her goodwill message, the vice chaiman of khana Local Government Area, Dr. Leton Ekoro, described such opportunities as rear , as she called on the girls to cash in and shot themselves to stardom.
Also speaking, the Director, Women Affairs Department, Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Camelita Agborubere, appealed to girls to see greatness in the opportunity available to them and utilize same.Agborubere assured the girls of the ministry’s support, if they were determined to succeed through film making.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi & King Onunwor
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.