By Patrick Ochei
The Founder/Coordinator of the Fostering Hopes Foundation, Ms. Nkechi Ukome has called on Government at all levels to increase efforts in their poverty reduction policies, especially as it concerns women.
Ukome made this call in a statement on the 2024 celebration of the 16 Days Activism Against Gender Based Violence with the theme “Towards Beijing+30: Unite To End Violence Against Women And Girls”.
She said, the empowerment of women should become key policy of government amidst the critical functions of women in striving for the survival of their families, thereby listing instances where women have had to be the ones feeding their families, paying their children’s school fees, seeing to the medical needs of their families and more.
In the statement, she said, “Government must of necessity, ensure that poverty reduction becomes its key policy. We know that right now, our country is going through a lot in terms of economic challenges where feeding has become a heartbreaking thing.
“In all of this economic insecurity bedevilling our dear nation, women are the worst hit especially when their breadwinner husbands are not well to do or fall on hard times. Women would always, naturally want to take charge to maintain the standard of the family.
“Therefore, we as a Foundation, fighting so hard to empower communities one family at a time, are advocating for women empowerment through drastic poverty reduction policy and poverty alleviation programmes, specifically for women. This is because, when a woman is empowered, a nation is empowered”, Ukome affirmed.
However, in her effort, some women were recently empowered with money and starter packs for their businesses, while their children were given scholarships to reduce the level of burden and distraction on the women.
