By CrossRiverWatch admin
Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Dr. Linda Ayade has charged women to become goal oriented and choose to shape their lives for the better.
This was contained in an address she delivered on the occasion of the celebration of the 2016 International Women Day in Calabar.
Below is the full text of the address:
I heartily welcome the great women of Cross River and our visitors to the celebration of the International Women’s Day.
While this year’s theme, “Pledge for Parity” awakens us to responsibility, I will like to refer us to Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, holding the post from March 1933 to April 1945. She said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
What message do we get from this? It means that our plight as women today in a developing country like Nigeria is largely due to our own permissiveness. The second and important point in this statement is that one’s destiny is in his or her own hands and whatever path a person chooses will determine their end.
Therefore, I charge all women of Cross River State and the country at large to choose to shape their lives for the better. It is alright to dream tall and set lofty goals. I hereby charge all women to spread their wings and embrace the present economic and political challenges that we face as a country today with all of your wits and might.
The old adage of a woman’s place being in the kitchen is a misguided. Please, let us encourage one another to disregard such falsehood. Women should refuse to be relegated to the background as that sky which most people think should be the limit can indeed be our starting point. Do not settle for less nor limit yourselves. Rather, be goal-oriented; choose a career path and pursue it diligently.
History has records of very successful women who have distinguished themselves in various fields like politics, administration, arts, science, engineering – you name it!
I, however, acknowledge that the path is often rough, but with steadfastness, you can achieve your goal in life. As we all know, the gender inequality gap is being narrowed rapidly in Cross River State with each passing administration. Today in the present government, we can count over 50 political offices held by women with still some in the pipeline.
I encourage all women who find themselves in these privileged positions to help the next woman rise and excel in life in whatever way they can.
On my part, I want to pledge that through my non-governmental not-for-profit organization, Mediatrix Development Foundation, I hope to help women in the area of training and capacity building, while seeking other immediate measures to impact positively on women’s health. As we all know, health is wealth!
As I end this message, I want to leave every woman present here with one duty: Come out of your comfort zone and see how you can make an impact on your immediate society – be it economically, politically, socially or otherwise. In whatever small capacity, encourage and help one another. Let us be our sisters’ keepers.
Thank you and God bless you all.
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