Women’s Groups Must Speak With One Voice, WINET Tells Leaders

The Women Information Network (WINET) has urged women’s rights organisations in Anambra State to unite and speak with one voice in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The call was made by WINET Executive Director, Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, during a one-day capacity-building training for leaders of women’s rights organisations in Awka.

The training, titled “Strengthening Women’s Rights Organizations in Nigeria for Gender-Based Violence Prevention,” was supported by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement and forms part of the Strengthening Women’s Movements in Nigeria (SWMN) project.

Menkiti said the initiative is designed to strengthen and sustain an inclusive, coordinated and impactful women’s movement capable of advocating for social justice and the economic and political empowerment of women.

According to her, WINET is implementing the project across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, while Amandla coordinates activities in the six geopolitical zones nationwide.

She noted that the organisation had already engaged government officials in advocacy visits to build partnerships and create greater support for women’s rights initiatives.

“We have brought together leaders of women’s rights organisations in Anambra to build their capacity in movement building for gender-based violence prevention and feminist leadership.

“Women need to work together as a team and speak with one voice to draw the attention of government and society to the issues affecting them so that lasting solutions can be achieved,” she said.

Menkiti recalled the historic Aba Women’s movement, describing it as proof that collective action can produce meaningful social and policy reforms even in difficult circumstances.

She also pointed to the ongoing campaign for the Reserved Seats Bill, saying greater representation of women in governance would help address decades of exclusion from decision-making processes.

The WINET Executive Director disclosed that 25 participants benefited from the Anambra training, adding that similar capacity-building sessions had already been held in Enugu and Ebonyi, with Imo and Abia scheduled as the next states.

She commended the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Esther Chinyere Onyekesi, and the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement for supporting the project.

The training featured presentations by WINET Programme Manager, Ijeomah Obinna Onwuka, on Feminist Leadership for the 21st Century, and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Chinelo Dim, on the Values of Feminist Leadership.