Nigeria: Umuadaigbo Sensitizes Abia Women On Reproductive Rights

Umuahia — Irked by soaring incidents of abuse of women's rights in parts of the country especially in the South East, a socio-cultural Igbo women orgnisation, UMUADA IGBO NIGERIA, has embarked on aggressive sensitization of Igbo women on their various rights , and on how to vigorously resist any such abuse(s).

UmuadaIgbo in partnership with a pro-women international organization IPAS, has taken the campaign round virtually all communities in the seven Igbo -speaking states of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, and Rivers states, exploiting the annual August meeting popular in the region to reach both the rural women and returnees from the city.

The sensitization includes among other things: the eradication of harmful traditional practices against women; widowhood rights; education of women on their reproductive health and rights; family planning; upholding of widowhood rights; women empowerment; etc.

Addressing women at Ovim, Isuikwuato LGA of Abia state, during a seminar as part of activities marking their August meeting this year, the National President of Umuadaigbo, Dr. Kate Uzoamaka Ezeofor, challenged women to rise up against all discrimination and inhuman treatments against women in society.

She called on women to adopt good family planning, and attend sound medical centres during pregnancy for pre-natal cares in view of the high rate of maternal mortality in the zone which she put at 1,000 to every 100,000 birth.

According to her, couples should practice family planning, space their children to have a better life, healthy children and a happy family.

Delivering lectures on women reproductive health, a Medical Practitioner, Florence Anugba, condemned the attitude of some women who resort to prayer houses or patronize quacks during pregnancy instead of seeking medical care at recognized health centres and hospitals.

She also encouraged women to practice exclusive breast feeding of their babies for at least five months, and to adequately space their children before another pregnancy because of the numerous health gains derivable from the practice.

Lectures were also delivered by other speakers on women reproductive rights, sexual and gender based- violence, rape, sings of menopause, and managing menopausal stage, as well as women involvement in cooperative societies to improve their living standards.

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