Women Community Leaders in Anambra have been tasked to come up with developmental resolutions that will create positive results in social change that will promote quality social behaviors amongst the people.
Newsmen reports on Tuesday in Awka that some personalities addressed the importance of women annual general August meetings in creating economic cum social political development in the society.
Dr Nkechi Udeze, former Director, Anambra State Library Services described August Meeting in the Eastern part of the country as worthy development during radio program tagged “Issues” anchored by Mr Ezeonwuji Eze,of Anambra State owned Broadcasting State.
Udeze said August meeting is an annual congress held by the Igbo women in August, it is a massive homecoming whereby Igbo women in the diaspora and the cities travel back to their matrimonial villages .
She said the come home to meet with their local counterparts to discuss matters about the community development, Conflict Management, human development in different angles to bring best results.
She said that it is all important women meeting because issues that boarders on family development and growth, social, economic and character formation and sustenance are discussed.
“In August meeting women teach younger wives family decorum and other ways of living that promotes healthy environmental living amongst other basic life realities.”she said
Mrs Ngozi Mbachi, a community leaders noted that the august meeting is spectacle among the Igbos of the Southeastern Nigeria which began since 1940 in communities like Port Harcourt, Aba, Owerri,Umuahia, Onitsha.
Mbachi said that the idea was first conceived through the Church Missionary Societies who decided to come up with the strategy to offer women a voice in their communities as a result it was a great idea and women grow the meeting to what it is today.
She said that the meeting grew till 1965 ,seen as fashionable has since assumed permanence as it is another aspect of socio-economic and cultural development initiative of women in the region to sit together and take decision in their affairs.
Mbachi said that the word August in itself means magnificent or majestic, the term august gathering refers to a gathering marked by dignity or grandeur.
“It is worthy of note that the August originates from Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. month of August is earlier was known as sextilis also on his honor.
“Therefore events held in August is expected to be seen as honorable and developmental, progressive and sustainable in all its sectors,” she said.
Mbachi said that women are expected to reach resolutions that will be implemented to offer reorientation of the youths mind set about quick money syndrome, and young girls gives who have thrown courtesy to the wind.
“mothers during their August annual general meeting need to educate the younger women the important of breastfeeding of their new born in place of saving their breast from sagging.
“Young wives need to be explained the roles of a golden marriage, home making and child rearing so as to have sane society where criminality will be reduced if not eradicated,” she said.
Chief Kanayo Obidigbo, said that women annual meeting is a very key point in development of the community even before the coming of the white man religion.
Obidigbo said that It is an annual event among the Igbo tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria, intended to foster empowerment, reorientation and mobilisation of women for community building and political participation.
“In my community Awka, in the time of my grandmother women have this role of gathering women and talk to take decisive decisions in their affairs, how they go to farm,cook,amongst others, they penalises any disrespectful woman.
He said that men should encourage their wives to visit home during this meeting period because there is more gain than the worries men expresses about the meeting.
“The church has regulated the meeting having noticed the challenges of class competition displayed by some women through the introduction of uniform across the religious bodies that take part in the meeting,”he said.
Obidigbo said that before now women do put pressure on their husbands on fashion accessories but all those hitches are in the past now.
He said that women are expected to come up with resolutions as agenda setting for political office holders to back such reports that would checkmate crime and social disorder in the society as well to encourage women on active political participation.
“Women have the number to make positive change in the governance of the society and need to be grounded in its resolution to ask and seek for their 35 per cent affirmative request,” he said.