BY AYO ESAN
THE Lagos State Government has declared zero tolerance for all forms of segregation policies and domestic violence against women.
In line with this step, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given all Government agencies the full power to tackle the menace.
Sanwo-Olu made the declaration during the commemoration of the 2021 International Women’s Day organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).
The event with the theme, “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World”, was held at the Police College, Ikeja.
The Governor said, “To further demonstrate our commitment to the cause of women in Lagos, this administration has declared zero tolerance for all forms of segregation policies and domestic violence against women and young ladies, particularly the issue of rape.
“All Government agencies have my full backing in their daily efforts to tackle the menace of violence against our women and young ladies.”
He said any society that failed to support women and help them to achieve their potential “stands to lose its essence.
The Governor said solving development issues facing women and youths had remained a priority for his administration, pledging that his Government would continue to fight segregation policies and actions denying women the opportunity to actualise their leadership potential.
He noted that the State Government, under his leadership, had recorded unprecedented feat in adding values to women and elevated them to the positions of authority and responsibility.
He said women had remained at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, applauding them in the progress recorded in fighting the pandemic in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration had empowered about 50,000 women through Ministries of Youth and Social Development, Wealth Creation and WAPA in various skills and vocations that would enable them contribute to the socio-economic development of the state.
He promised that women would continue to have a space in his Government.
He said, “As a man, father, husband and Governor, I acknowledge the role women play in the development of any society and what the society stands to lose by denying women the opportunity to actualise their potentials.
“This administration through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Youths and Social Development and Ministry of Wealth creation has continued to prioritise the training and empowerment of women.
“About 50,000 women and youths have been trained and empowered in various skills and vocations that will enable them contribute to the socio economic development of the State.”
Sanwo-Olu said there was no limit to what a woman could achieve if given the opportunity and support.
He challenged women to continue to amplify their voices in the quest for gender equality and desire to occupy more space in leadership at the very top.
The Governor urged them to challenge stereotypes and eradicate bias views, stressing that widening their perceptions was vital to achieving equality.
At the occasion, First Lady of Lagos, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, celebrated the courage and commitment of female caregivers, frontline medical practitioners, activists and political leaders, who daily laboured to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The First Lady noted that the pandemic had further exposed women to sexual and gender-based violence, particularly rape, which she described as “a pandemic within the pandemic”.
