Glo, EDF partner to empower Ekiti women

Telecommunications giant,Globacom and the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF) have joined efforts in a bid to empower rural and sundry women of Ekiti State as well as families with multiple births in various communities of the state.Wife of the Ekiti State governor, Chief (Mrs.) Bisi Fayemi, who disclosed this in Oye-Ekiti, headquarters of Oye Local Government Area of the state recently, also made it known that about 200 women drawn from the various communities in the state would be empowered with a phone booth each.Mrs. Fayemi also explained that the 200 beneficiaries of the phone booths would be drawn from all the 16 local government areas of the state during a local government tour targeted at sensitising the women on varieties of issues that could affect their lives. Mrs Fayemi, who made the disclosure at the commencement of the local government tour of the EDF, appealed to individuals and corporate bodies to support EDF so that it can continue to empower Ekiti women, added that 'less than N30 million has been received out of a total of N60 million pledged by individuals as contributions to the Foundation when it was flagged off in June, 2011.'According to her, EDF has disbursed N12 million to various categories of people in the state to bail them out of their predicaments since it was founded in June last year.She disclosed that various groups in all the council areas would receive grants from the Foundation, saying 'only committed and reputable organisations will benefit from the grants for the development of women's potential.'Mrs. Fayemi advised Ekiti women to acquaint themselves with the gender-based violence prohibition law, child rights act and breast cancer awareness programme put in place by the state government to protect the womenfolk as well as issues that have to do with their health and their rights in the society. She said: 'The women and various women groups will be the focus of this tour because we cannot be talking of development in our communities and by extension our country without the full involvement of women.'Women constitute about 50 per cent of the population and have been found to be better managers of resources. When you educate and empower women to assume leadership positions in this country, then the developmental challenges confronting the nation will be tackled.
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