HON IFY OBINABO Urges Catholic Women to Embrace Sound Parenting, Warns Against Multiple Social Club Memberships

By Uzo Ugwunze

The Executive Director of the Gender Empowerment and Rigjts Initiative Foundation (GERIF), Hon. Ify Obinabo, has called on women, particularly mothers, to uphold the virtues of sound parenting, responsible womanhood and strong family values as essential ingredients for building a morally upright society.

Playing a special guest role to the Awka Catholic Women Organization of the Catholic Diocese of Awka during their August meeting held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Awka, Hon Obinabo stressed that the family remains the foundation of society, noting that mothers occupy a strategic position in shaping the character, discipline and future of their children.

According to Obinabo, effective parenting goes beyond providing food, clothing and education, but also requires parents to provide moral guidance, emotional support, discipline and good examples for their children.

The GERIF Executive Director urged mothers to be deliberate in the way they raise their children, especially in an era where young people are increasingly exposed to influences from social media, peer groups and other external sources, emphasizing the importance of mothers being available to listen to their children, understand their challenges and guide them through the different stages of life.

Obinabo also spoke extensively on the virtues of womanhood, urging Catholic women and women in general to remain role models in their homes, churches and communities. She described women as important pillars of family stability and called on them to cultivate virtues such as humility, integrity, compassion, wisdom, hard work and responsibility.
Obinabo however, expressed concern over what she described as the growing tendency among some women, especially mothers, to belong to multiple social clubs and organizations.

According to her, while social organizations can provide opportunities for networking, mutual assistance and community development, excessive membership of multiple clubs could have negative consequences when it begins to take priority over family responsibilities.

Obinabo who is the immediate past Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first tenure in Anambra State warned that constant meetings, ceremonies, levies, financial obligations and other social engagements could place unnecessary pressure on women and reduce the quality time they spend with their husbands and children.
“Women should be careful not to allow social engagements to take the place of their primary responsibilities as mothers and wives,” she advised.

Obinabo encouraged women to be selective and purposeful about the organizations they join, urging them to consider the financial, emotional and time commitments involved before taking on additional memberships, noting that membership of such social groups are very demanding therefore requires adequate qualifications.

She also called for greater cooperation between husbands and wives in parenting, stressing that raising responsible children should be regarded as a shared responsibility.

The GERIF boss further urged members of the Awka Catholic Women Organization to use their various platforms to promote peace, unity, charity, education and the welfare of vulnerable members of society with a firm promise that her organization, GERIF remains a platform they can explore for the cause of the gender and vulnerable people.

She commended the Catholic women for their contributions to the Church and society, and urged them to continue to deploy their collective strength toward initiatives that improve the wellbeing of families and communities.

The August meeting provided an opportunity for members to reflect on the responsibilities of women in contemporary society, particularly the need to balance social activities with family obligations, faith and community service.

Hon.Obinabo concluded by urging the women to remember that their greatest legacy would not be the number of social clubs they belonged to, but the quality of lives they influenced, particularly the values and character they instilled in their children.