IWD: UK Woman Thrills Orphans, School Children, Women With Food Items, Gifts in Abuja Community

• International Women's Day was marked on Friday, March, to celebrate the greatness of women globally
• Joining in the celebration, the Firefighters COP Charity, in collaboration with Feeni Network Nigeria, organised an outreach for orphans, students and women in the suburb of Abuja
• The group spoke with Legir.ng advocated for more women in governance and the implementation of 35 per cent affirmative action

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

FCT, Abuja — To mark International Women's Day, residents of a community near Abuja's Airport Road (Chika), including orphans, students, and women, received essential items and gifts amid Nigeria's economic challenges.

The Firefighters Social Outreach Team, in collaboration with COPS Charity UK and Feeni Network Nigeria, organised the event.

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The outreach was held on March 7th and 8th, and it comprised visits to an orphanage, a school, and women in the suburban area of Chika.

In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Miriam Virgo, the CEO and founder of Firefighters COP Charity in the UK, shared her journey, from her employment with a UK airline to her eventual involvement in Nigeria.

Ms Virgo explained that her initial motivation to visit Nigeria and extend assistance to vulnerable individuals was to dispel misconceptions about the country's instability.

She discovered that, contrary to media portrayals, these misconceptions were untrue upon her exploration and experiences.

She said:

"So, I came for the first time in June last year. And I was touched. I felt like it was a very different.

"So, when I came, I was blown away by Nigeria and I realized it was nothing. England is very judgmental, I think, regarding other, like, third world countries and stuff like that.

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"And I think, you know, when I came here, and I was like, dangerous, I'm not saying there's no crime, but not in the way it was painted to me."

Calls for women's affirmative action

When asked about her take on the 35 per cent affirmative action for women and the inclusion of women in governance in a country like Nigeria, she said:

"I feel that women have got something to offer, not just cooking in the kitchen. So I think, you know, it's a difficult one because I do believe in equality, but I also believe in, you know, sometimes there's certain roles that men might be able to do that women can't do, etc.

"But I think these days we should at least give people a fair chance of fighting chance. And everybody's got the right to be heard, I think."

The challenges

Similarly, Similarly, Anne Marie told Legit.ng that women are usually misconstrued, painting the narrative that they have nothing to offer.

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Marie noted that women need representation across all sectors and should be given opportunities to display their God-given gifts.

She said:

"I think women are misconstrued. They think they can't offer anything.

"It's important that women are included in every stratum of society. Just to say, remember, you have a mother, you have a sister, and a wife, a friend, a woman is everywhere."

The outreach saw the distribution of food items, gifts and other valuables to the delight of the children at the orphanage, the students and the women in the community.

Affirmative action: Tinubu vows to protect women

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration has reaffirmed its dedication to promoting women's participation in governance.

This pledge was emphasised by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, during a gender summit held in Abuja and organised by Christian Aid.

Temitope Fashola, Nigeria's country director of Christian Aid, advocated for women's affirmative action as outlined in the national gender policy during discussions with Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng