- Seeks Mandatory Screening, HPV Vaccination For The Girl-Child
The Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) on Thursday called on National and State Assemblies to pass gender equality legislation that will guarantee compulsory women leadership as well as quick and effective justice delivery to perpetrators of crime and violence against women.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the 21st Annual National Women’s Conference of COWLSO held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Committee also said women must rebrand and care for one another, possess strength, perseverance, and humility as qualities, and most importantly support and encourage aspiration of women for leadership.
“The National and State assemblies should pass gender equality legislation that will guarantee quick and effective justice delivery to perpetrators of crime and violence against women, enable compulsory women leadership and empowerment trainings, access to education and medical treatment for physical and mental challenged women and create enabling environment for women to participate in politics,” COWLSO said.
The women also called on both federal and state lawmakers to consider laws that will institute policies, procedures, actions, and expectations that would enable workers to pursue more balanced lives which would go a long way in achieving success.
“These could include Flexible work schedules, Paid time off (PTO) policies; Responsibly-paced time and communication expectations; Organization-sponsored family events and activities,” COWLSO said.
COWLSO, under the chairmanship of Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the family as the bedrock on which a child should discover the first set of values for life, hence families should employ intentional parenting and healthy co-parenting dynamics, to ensure that the foundation is not destroyed and children are not at the mercy of external socializing forces which they may not be able to filter for proper development.
The Committee called on the government to create robust operational structures to foster the development of strategic family support and intervention policies which can be mainstreamed down to the community level to enable parents to access the resources they need to actualize stability in their family, environments and raise the quality of their interactions with their children.
On cancer prevention, COWLSO admonished the government, through the Ministry of Health and various stakeholders, to institute policies mandating screening for cancer, and HPV vaccination for the girl-child from age 10.
“As a people, we should raise awareness and engage in advocacy to encourage screening so that the three preventable types of cancer – Breast, and Cervical (for women), and Prostate (For Men) would actually remain prevented.
“The government, through the Ministry of Health and various stakeholders, should also institute policies mandating screening for these checks and HPV Vaccination for the girl-child from age 10,” COWLSO said.
Besides, the Committee said women must maintain a healthy record keeping, savings, and financial planning culture, in readiness for financing opportunities that could surface.
“The government, in support of women, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Policy Alleviation at the State and Federal Levels, should organize seminars from time to time to educate women on how to keep basic financial records in an effective way, so as to access funds and position them for global opportunities.
“Women should maintain and demonstrate a constant state of readiness by taking advantage of available education, advocacy, and community engagement as it relates to COVID-19. The government, in turn, should ensure deliberate and continuous investment in healthcare delivery, leveraging on technology for further reach,” COWLSO said.
In her remarks, Lagos State First Lady and COWLSO Chairman, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the conference with the theme, “Awake,” was designed to bring women in tune with modern realities and opportunities.
She further emphasized the need for equal opportunities for women, stressing that it was paramount to give them a right of place in leadership positions.
She expressed optimism that the positive impacts of the mind-shifting training and sessions during the conference would be felt across all strata of society.
