Women
Echoes From 2016 Int’l Women’s Day
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Mrs Suzette Nyesom Wike (2nd right), Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri (left), wife of Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs Charity Adams (right) and another guest on arrival at the church service to mark International Women’s Day at Christ Church Interdenominational, Port Harcourt, yesterday
They came from dif
ferent places, adorned in beautiful, colourful attires, with smiles on their faces. The event was International Women’s Day and Women from the 23 local government areas in the Rivers State, including female professional bodies, market women, Moslem Women Association, Christian Women Association and other women in the state had gathered at Sharks’ Football Stadium (Civic Centre), Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, to join their counterparts all over the world to mark the day.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 19, 1911, with activities like rallies and meetings. The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian King promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. In 1913, International Women’s Day the (IWD) was moved to March 8. In 1977, the United Nations added impetus to the celebration by inviting member states to proclaim March 8 as the United Nations Day for Women’s Right and International Peace. The event is aimed at helping nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focuses on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development.
Over the years, women in Rivers State have been part of this great celebration. With this year’s theme: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up For Gender Equality”, they assembled to reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 agenda.
The Tuesday event was preceded by an Interdenominational Church Service at Christ Church, Forces Avenue on Sunday, March 6, followed by visits to charity homes in Port Harcourt on Monday, March 7.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr. (Mrs) Ukel Oyaghiri, said over the years, the female gender, has not attained the expected level of development as their male counterparts, due to unequal treatment meted on the girl-child which has made them not to develop their God given potentials, adding that we cannot achieve sustainable development if the female gender is not developed to function well in the society as their male counterparts.
Oyaghiri called on men to give equal treatment to the female children, empower them and ensure that the rights to their wives and girl-children are protected.
She said her ministry organized this year’s International Women’s Day in a grand style with the hope of touching lives of girl-child, women, children with special needs through the support of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who is gender friendly and who has ensured inclusion of more women in his administration, so as to accelerate the 2030 agenda of building momentum for effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as her ministry pledge, to close the gender disparity between and men and women and to ensure that by 2030, the ration between men to women will be 50-50″.
Oyaghiri expressed optimism hope that with the support of top government official wives, women drawn from the 23 local government areas (LGSs), governmental and non-governmental groups, female, professional bodies, the desire of ensuring better lives for the less privileged, children with special needs and the physically-challenged in our society will be achieved.
Oyaghiri, who has been the 2nd Vice President of the Taekwando Association of Nigeria and a black belt holders, Black Belt College, urged families especially the men and traditional rulers who still hold onto the obnoxious practices in our society to stop those sharp practices as there was no head way in them and charged them to give equal training to their girl-children as their male counterparts.
She stressed that the entire Rivers people of good-will must ensure the visibility and inclusion of women and girls in all the processes of development and added that this indeed, is the real democracy and gender mainstreaming where women and men are working together peacefully without discrimination to achieve accelerated and sustainable development in the society.
She charged Rivers women to improve on their performances in order to produce and become great women of integrity ready to work hand in hand with their male counterparts to build a better Rivers State come 2030.
In his speech, the Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Keneth Kobani, promised that, his government would continue to enhance and protect the advancement of women in the state, “not just appointing women into key positions, but it is about empowering them to do what they are supposed to do in order to move our society forward”.
He explained that the state government is driven by women, who cut across the three arms of government “and as a gender friendly governor as we can see, the number two citizen in the state is a woman, the Deputy governor, who is the driving force behind Governor Nyesom Wike and also two arms of government are headed by women”. He challenged women to speak for their rights, adding that deprived and poor women should be assisted through empowerment programmes and promised that his government would continue to place women at the pride of place in every decision that they take.
In her key note address, the wife of the Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom Wike, while expressing her extreme delight with the great turn out of women , said women are the super-structure, the strong pillar for growth and the development of human race.
Similarly, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo felicitated with Rivers women. She urged Rivers women, as role models to justify the public offices or positions entrusted to them as co-drivers’ in the Governor Nyesom Wike’s-led administration.
She challenged women to be more vocal on issues of violence against them, obnoxious traditional practices and all forms of discrimination perpetrated against women in the society.
In his address, the chairman of the occasion, Nimi Walson Jack, said that one permanent feature of a developing economy is active participation of the women, adding that the task of fighting against disparity should not be left for women alone, but men must join in ensuring equality for all, while promising that the male folk would assist to ensure that this task was achieved.
Highlights of the event were matchpast competition by various women groups, special performance by the Taekwando Association, drama presentation by the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, catching the train, among others.
Okrika and Oyigbo local government areas took first positions in the matchpast and catching the train respectively. They went home with Her Excellency’s Award.
Calista Ezeaku & Sussan Serekara-Nwikhana
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.
