Women have been challenged to wake up and push their way into political and other decision making positions if the development changes they need and desire are to be met.
A special guest at the just concluded one-day Water Assembly, March 23, for Niger Delta women, Mr. Wakebe Davidson Ere, a director at the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment threw the challenge while delivering a goodwill message at the event organized by a frontline women focused non-governmental organization, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center at the Catholic Pastoral Institute, Igwuruta, Rivers State, to mark the 2023 International Water Day and the end of the UN Water Conference.
Ere said since water is vital to life and women are key to humanity as mothers, nurturers and partners in development, their needs and voices on policies around water demands their involvement in policy conception and execution.
The environment activist said their absence in decision making has detracted from made giving water needed adequate priority attention . To change the narrative and end the continuous cries of women for the provision of adequate clean, safe water, Ere called on women to begin to collectively and powerfully speak up and participate in both policy making and occupying political space so they can have enough presence to push their issues.
Said he: “Niger Delta needs to strategize with innovative solutions to address our problems and women and girls are most impacted. Women have to be involved in the quest for developmental approaches. You have a right to be part of budget discussions, demand accountability; join planning conversations.“Plan to be involved in the leadership. Men have not fared too well in equitable governance distribution. Plan ahead of elections for success.. Another 100 years another cycle of visionless leadership will continue to be”.
He expressed the conviction that with women on the drivers seat Nigeria can experience good governance.
“My soul convinces me that the likes of Dora Akunyili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will beat those parading the scene. I see hope for this nation in women.”
Ere urged international partners like Ford Foundation and other development agencies to help organize Nigerian women for leadership just as he charged Niger Delta community women to empower themselves economically by pulling together in cooperatives to build up their financial base and rise above poverty .
“Form cooperatives, create a network and with a strong voice form the audacity to engage political leaders and list your demands.
He advised on the adoption of sustainable sanitation practices to avoid harm to the environment and embrace environmentally friendly practices, noting that unhealthy individual acts like dumping of domestic wastes and plastics block the drains and the waters, adding to pollution.
Representative of the Akwa Ibom Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Ini Umoh, who commended Kebetkache for continuous efforts to highlight and push for the improvement of the lives of rural women said the year’s slogan, #We Women Are Water reveals the important relationship between women and water.
“Women are the sources of life,. What will the world be without women and water? Gender roles define women as responsible for the provision of water in domestic needs yet water is neglected in planning and implementation in governance”.
Environment and Ford Foundation representatives
Stressing that access to water is the right of all, the assistant director climate change lamented that 200 million hours are spent sourcing water by women.
Ford Foundation representative, Joy Ehinor Esezebor decried poor governance which has made access to rights to clean water, food security, water, security and healthy environment difficult. She said poor response to climate shift is causing crisis especially, with regards to water.
Joy called for awareness, inspiring actions to tackle water crisis, pointing out that her organization is committed to promoting peace and democracy in Nigeria because of the country’s importance to Africa.
“Ford Foundation is promoting peace and democracy in Nigeria because of the importance of Nigeria to Africa”
Welcoming all to the Assembly, executive director of Kebetkache, Emem Okon said the global event celebrating seeks to widen awareness on water issues, draw government attention on the need for more financing in water and policies for just water, sanitation and climate matters.
Said she: “Kebetkache particularly calls on government at all levels in Nigeria, to prioritize water and sanitation in public policy and development interventions. It also calls on government to mitigate the climate crisis by implementing sustainable solutions to the environmental problems in Nigeria, especially, the Niger Delta where the fossil fuel extraction has negatively impacted on the people and the environment.”
We specifically call on governments of the Niger Delta to show accountability in the utilization of the 13 percent derivation fund and to prioritize water and sanitation as critical investments that advance the rights of Niger Delta people and communities, particularly, women, children, people with disability, and the elderly.
Kebetkache also appeals to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to invest in development programmes and projects that prioritize the needs of women and girls, persons with disabilities and the elderly, and mainstream water and sanitation as critical social investments in the communities.
We also call on the National Assembly, relevant ministries and regulatory agencies to hold all international and local oil companies in the country to account for all acts of environmental pollution that foster ecosystem destruction in the Niger Delta.
