Women
WCD: ‘19.6% Rivers Women Use Contraceptive Methods’
An estimated 19.6% of married women in Rivers State currently use modern contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, who made this known at the weekend in his broadcast to mark this year’s “World Contraception Day (WCD)”, noted that while this number indicates that something was being done in this direction, more still needs to be done.
“In Rivers State, only 19.6% of currently married women use a modern method of contraceptive. This data shows that although some progress is being made, there’s yet more work to be done”, he said.
Towards this end, the commissioner said the government, through the state Ministry of Health, and its parastatals “are committed to providing women with access to quality information and services in all public as well as private (healthcare) facilities”.
This, he said, was done in partnership with several implementing partners such as “Association of Reproductive and Family Health Initiative”, “Clinton Health Access Initiative”, “The Challenge Initiative”, and “Marie Stopes lnternational”.
“The state government has developed, and is implementing a work plan targeted at improving contraception through ensuring the availability of right information, commodities, consumables, and equipment to offer the services, while also ensuring that there are skilled health workers who are able to provide these services.
“Together with our partners, we have built the capacity of healthcare providers in public and private sectors to provide quality Family Planning services”, the commissioner said.
He added that efforts have also been made to engage “Community Structures” such as youth and women champions, community reproductive health influencers, and religious leaders to “facilitate counselling within communities and referrals to linked facilities”.
In addition, Chike said, “the Social Behaviour Change Committee has been passed with the responsibility to expand information on Family Planning and its services to our communities and people, so that they can take responsibility for their lives through informed choices, and plan their families in line with the new vision for healthcare development”.
While noting that people can access Family Planning services in 328 facilities spread across the state, the commissioner urged people to access the facilities at their convenience.
“You can conveniently access Family Planning services in 328 health facilities in the state, including the private facilities.
“We, therefore, call on everyone to take responsibility for their lives through voluntary exercise of their right to health, as well as their right to reproductive freedom”, he said.
Quoting the National Demographic Health Survey of 2018, Chike also used the opportunity to inform that Nigeria is currently working to attain 27% contraceptive prevalence rate by the end of 2023, saying that “right now the figure stands at 17%”.
Explaining the benefits accruable from contraceptive use, the state health boss said beyond individual and family benefits, countries also benefit immensely.
“Apart from the health benefits of expanding access to contraception, there are also economic benefits.
“Economists estimate that every one dollar invested in universal access to contraception saves countries $120 in reduced need for infrastructure on social spending”, he said.
“Family Planning”, the commissioner stressed, “provides a means through which individuals and couples can have children by choice, and not by chance, or they can have the number of children that they are able to adequately care for”.
The WCD is marked globally on September 25 of annually.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
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.