By Uche Chukwu, Onitsha.
As part of events marking the celebration of the 2026 International Women's Day (IWD), Mawlif Concepts has held its 2026 International Women's Day event with a call for empower of women for greater social impact.
Held in partnership with Integral Development Konsult (IDK) Learning Centre, Princeton Specialist Hospital and Orthopaedic Centre, Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), 9JA Edu Games, Cisco Networking Academy and Emoji Digitals, the event was supported by Sluchiz, ASM Natural Hair Clinic and Ray Shots.
In an address, the Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Igbariam, Professor Kate Omenugha advocated for the holistic empowerment of women, educationally, materially, financially, mentally, and socially for the actualization of their empowerment for self-reliance and nation building.
Represented by the Director, Centre for Gender Studies of COOU, Prof. Njideka Ebisi, the Vice Chancellor emphasized the need for the society to provide an environment and drive the process of positive disposition towards women's empowerment.
According to her, men have a crucial role to play in the empowerment of women, especially in creating a political space more women can occupy appointive and elective positions for them to remain fully involved in decision making.
In her keynote speech, the Executive Director (Direct Tax ) at the Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), Mrs Amara Kate Oyeka observed that women's power hasn't yet awakened as women still face such challenges as unhealthy competition, stereotyping, and profiling, stressing that nobody is stopping women from attaining their height if they so desire. As a way out, she called on women to step out boldly, overcome inferiority complex, evolve and add value to whatever they engage in.
Setting the event in focus, the Convener of the 2026 MAWLIF IWD and Nigeria's Champion of the United Nations Summit off the Future, Dr. Ify Aronu reminded participants that the event was organized to mark this year's IWD in order to find ways to deepen involvement of women and girl-child at the grassroots level in gender equality discussions in the local context.
According to her, "we want to be able to create a forum where women and vulnerable persons can come together to say things as they are so we can truly work towards the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).
Aronu who is an exceptional award- winning media impresario and event anchor said that the global theme for the 2026 IWD sends a message of "powerful truth to invest in women for the benefit of all now.
On the local theme, "Empower Her", Aronu ordered why most women still struggling, waiting for an elusive or distant permission to rise, reiterating the urgent need "to Empower HER. Not tomorrow. Not gradually. Not symbolically. But now!". She pointed out that the empowerment of women could be tackled through what she called the 'MVSFB framework', which she explained thus: "We must broaden our understanding of empowerment to reflect these critical areas, viz: Her mind. Her voice. Her skills. Her finances.Her body. MVSFB represents the core areas of empowerment that we are seeking this year as young, purposeful and progressive Anambra Women. " "We must empower her mind with education and exposure. We must empower her voice so she can speak without fear. We must empower her skills so she can compete and lead. We must empower her economically so she can build wealth and independence. We must empower her body with access to health and safety. Because empowerment is not decoration. It is 'the' foundation of women's development and emancipation.". She decried that across Nigeria including Anambra State, many young women still experience barriers like "limited opportunities, cultural expectations that shrink ambition, economic constraints, and social pressures that silence potential.".
Aronu noted that, for many a woman to have a sense of belonging, , she must "protect her dignity and reputation, enhance her skill, guard her health with all she's got, and when a young woman is rightly and decently empowered, she does not rise alone. She lifts her siblings. She strengthens her family and enhances their reputation. She transforms her community and by extension, builds the nation, thereby promoting the SDGs. "Therefore, empowering her is not charity. It is strategy. It is development. It is sustainability.But empowerment must be intentional. It requires action from policymakers, educators, families, mentors, and institutions. And it also requires self-awareness and responsibility from we- the young women...This is the time to empower HER and empowering her starts "with HER".
The disability community in Anambra was well represented by a delegation. In her presentation, Comrade Okeke Eucharia Odinaka of the Directorate of the NYCN Aguata on Disabilities matters lamented the extreme vulnerability of females with disabilities and the higher tendencies of rape, pregnancy and compounding challenges. The interactive session that followed highlighted the necessity for all to empower persons with disability and protect them from predators.
In her contribution, a University lecturer, Mrs. Juliet Owen-Hampo examined the topic, "Work Place: Navigating Marriage, Motherhood and Balancing Challenges, and revealed that 50 percent of women in the workplace feel guilty of abandoning the child for work, especially in situations where they don't have caregivers. She shared six stages of self study, acquaintances, marital threats, public exposure, individual, healthy separation, and reunion through which marriages and family life could pass through with their ups and downs .
Also speaking, a young agro entrepreneur, Mrs Nkiruka Okeke-Solomon whose topic centred on the need for women to embrace farming for creative venture, poverty alleviation, wealth creation and livelihood pointed out that she carved a niche for herself in agriculture due to her passion. Okeke-Solomon who is popularly called digital farm girl for using modern technology to promote her back-to-farming campaign called on the federal and state governments to provide loans and grants to support farmers, especially women, to increase output.
Earlier in her welcome remark, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Consultant of Integral Development Konsult (IDK) and host of Mawlif IWD, Mrs. Chinwe Nweke noted that the celebration wasn't "for women to come together to fight for their rights because we have gone beyond that, but to conscientize and galvanize women to recognise the potentials God has richly deposited in them in order to bring out the best in them - to respect their husbands, their children and make their voices heard. Mrs Nweke noted that wives aren't in competition with their husbands, but as necks that carry the heads, encourage and contribute as partners to make their families to succeed.
In her remarks, the CEO of Sluchiz, Dr. Juliet Ifebi advised women to empower themselves through healthy living, monitoring their blood pressure, having regular physical exercise, eating right, avoidance of chunk foods and, knowing when to take a deserved adequate rest.
Highlights of the well -attended event included selection of 50 beneficiaries for Cisco Digital Skills Training and 10 tech-inclined participants for employment, poetry presentation, dance, giveaway, and presentation of Certificates to the participants.