The Ondo State Government has promised to establish a temporary shelter for “battered women” in the state to ameliorate their plights and make life bearable for them.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Olawunmi Olatunji-Edet, made this known on Friday in Akure.
Olatunji-Edet spoke at an event marking the 2018 International Day of Family and Widows Day in the state.
International Widows Day is a United Nations ratified day of action to address the “poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries”.
The commissioner said that commemoration of the two days was merged into one this year due to time constraint.
Olatunji-Edet said that the event focussed on the need to improve the standard of living of families and widows, and to also create wealth for the poor.
She said that the day was specially set aside by the United Nation to promote issues relating to the wellbeings of families and widows in the society.
According to her, the existing Family Counselling and Reconciliation Centres in the state will be upgraded and strengthened to be able to serve the state better.
She said: “The family, as the basic unit of the society and main agent of socialisation, will continue to be improved upon to enable it to function effectively.”
Speaking, Olanireti Alabi, of the Department of Social Development, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, called on Federal and State Governments to enact laws to specifically protect the interests of the widows.
Alabi, who spoke as a Guest Lecturer, said that government has a major role to play to formulate policies and programmes that would end violence among couples, widows and children.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that there were empowerment programmes for women and widows at the various local government areas of the state including the provision of financial relief to extremely distressed families.
Others were skill acquisition and training on soap making, Adire making, food processing, among others.
Ondo to provide temporary shelter for ‘battered women’
