By Maria Famakinwa
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The Forum for Wives of Ondo State Officials (FOWOSO) was conceived a year ago by the wife of Ondo State Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu as part of her efforts to develop and execute programmes that will build capacity for women of the State.

The programme which is aimed at training women freely on different skills acquisition like make – up, bead making, shoe and bag making,  household items among others gives start up kits and certificates to beneficiaries as soon as they complete the training. While those who had learnt tailoring and hair dressing but could not afford the equipment were also given sewing machines and hair dryers. The jobless among the women were not left out as they were given grinding machines as a way of empowerment. Higher institution students were also given laptops as the physically challenged also went home with wheelchairs.

Mrs Akeredolu who is an advocate of women development and empowerment observed that for many years, the impact of women has been restricted to the home, solely limited to social and domestic issues with little or no input in the economy and polical development of the country.

This, according to her brought about FOWOSO where women can be empowered through different skill acquisitions for their voices to  be heard where it matters. While revealing that the forum has empowered over 1,000 women in the last one year, she said, “we must empower women educationally, support them financially and build them in skills. As we all know that when a woman is empowered, her home is empowered as well and this creates a new amiable home which impacts the society positively.

 “We have to play our part in preparing our women to be effective leaders in the economic sector of the society. How do we expect to develop if women who make up more than half of the entire population are restricted to kitchen and child bearing only?  Women can and should fully participate in engineering development of our beloved country. Although, the older women have lost many years to passiveness towards national development, I believe that it is not too late for them to get involved. As a result of this mind set, I  initiated the coming together of women in Ondo State and through FOWOSO, we have succeeded in building an army of resolute change makers who have ignited the cause of women empowerment for socio-economic development in the State.”

Mrs Akeredolu charged women across the State to exploit the opportunity offered by FOWOSO to start  up a business that would generate income for them so as to provide means of financial support for their families. She added that one of the objectives of the Forum is to reach out to women across the state with a view to assisting them to be self reliant through small scale business that would in turn build the economy of the rural communities.

 The First Lady maintained that FOWOSO was not set up to compete with men but rather to ensure that women who form the larger percentage of every society are carried along in building the society. She said, “women have untapped potentials yearning for development. Women can no longer be relegated to the background anymore, they must contribute to the socio-economic development of their immediate environment which cannot be achieved without empowerment and good health.

Her words: “That is the more reason FOWOSO will not only empower women but will also treat them freely on any health issue because as we move from one local government to another, we go with our team of medical doctors who attend to women, test them and give them free drugs because women can only be productive when they are healthy.”  Mrs Akeredolu while commending her husband, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for believing and supporting women to excel, revealed that the present administration in the state recognizes that women have potentials and if given the enabling environment, would contribute to the economic development of the state which explained the governor’s support for FOWOSO. She urged women to always support the Governor for more dividends of democracy.”

The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in his address congratulated FOWOSO members on the occasion of their first anniversary and also commended his wife, the founder of the association for her efforts at empowering women to take their rightful position. While urging them to continue supporting her, charged men to always support their wives to achieve their potentials.

“I believe that if women are given the needed support and encouragement, they can contribute meaningfully to the development of the society. My wife has great potentials and she is more intelligent than I do yet, I never felt threatened but rather have given her the needed support to live her dream. “

The Chairman of the occasion who is also the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi who described Arabinrin Akeredolu as a gender activist congratulated her and FOWOSO members for their achievements in the last one year as he urged men in the state to always support FOWOSO.

While describing himself as an apologetic feminist, Fayemi added that whatever men have become, women nuture it hence,  the need to accord them their respect in the country.”As a prime beneficiary of the generosity of women, it is necessary to support FOWOSO because the best way to promote the society is to promote women as they represent irreversible change agents.”

Delivering the keynote address on “Unlocking Hidden Potentials in Women: A task for All,” Dr Munirat Ogunlayi, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank, explained that the wealthiest place in the world is the cemetery where many untapped talents were buried. She went further to mention some factors locking potentials of women and children to include negative peer pressure, decision to give in, self doubt, lack of confidence, culture among others.

She also called on the society, government, religious organisations to rise for the right of women in the society and always do things that will encourage the girl-child to succeed. “Girls should be seen as important as their male counterpart because we have women occupying top positions. Parents should give equal treatment to their children irrespective of the sex. The right of the girl -child should not be denied. They should be shown love and care as the male gender, so that, their hidden potentials can be unlocked.”

In the speech of Ondo East Chairperson, Mrs Funmilayo Akinkuolie, when FOWOSO visited the Local Government for empowerment thanked the First Lady for her steps towards improving the lives of women in the state through FOWOSO programme which she revealed had been of benefits to women in the state and added that women are now better educated on the issue relating to their health especially as regarding their breasts.

 “It is worthy of commendation that FOWOSO has impacted positively on the lives of women through skills acquisition trainings and provision of empowerment materials for sustainable self-employment. We want to commend the efforts of the state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for piloting the ship of this state and ensuring that there is relative peace in Ondo State.

“We also thanked the Governor for sustaining women and children friendly schemes like school free shuttle buses, micro – credit grants among others. To the beneficiaries, please make good use of this opportunity to improve your living standard.”

In her goodwill message, the Chairperson, Akure North Local Government, Mrs Yemi Oluyede who described the FOWOSO empowerment programme as an opportunity to improve the economic status of women in the State appreciated Mrs Akeredolu for her efforts at reaching out to women in the state in order to be self reliant.

She also thanked Governor Akeredolu for prompt payment of workers’ salaries, advancing the frontiers of governance by opening wider doors for women in the state to participate, embarking on various developmental projects across the state, among others.

 She appealed to the beneficiaries to put the knowledge acquired into good use in order to transform their lives and not to sell the empowerment equipment given to them. “FOWOSO is not about empowerment alone, it also enables women to discover themselves, know more about their health  and be aware about happenings in their environment.”

 Sharing similar sentiment, the Chairperson of Ose Local Government, Mrs Ajike Opeyemi described the First Lady as a mother and a special woman who is committed to activities that can improve the level of women so that they can enjoy the dividends of democracy.

 While charging the beneficiaries to replicate the kind gestures of Arabinrin Akeredolu by using the already acquired skills and knowledge to improve their lives said, “FOWOSO is already an household name producing enormous branches for the less privilege among women, so that, they can start small and grow to be known.”

In her goodwill message, the Chairperson, Ile -Oluji / Okeigbo Local Government, Mrs Toyin Akinseroju described FOWOSO as a laudable programme aimed at empowering women, improving their health through different health talks and free medications, contributing to the society development, taking active part in governance among others.

Akinseroju thanked the First Lady for believing in women and always championing their cause. She also commended Governor Akeredolu for being gender friendly by appointing appreciable number of women into his administration. “FOWOSO is all about moving women forward to take their rightful position and for this to be realised, women must be empowered and economically buoyant which summarise the reason for FOWOSO.”

She further observed that many women empowered, no doubt would have a multiplier effects on the socio – economic development of the society as she appealed to the beneficiaries to make good use of the rare opportunity and improve their standard of living.”

The State Commissioner of Information, Mr Yemi Olowolabi commended Mrs Akeredolu’s initiative at empowering women and urged women in the state to support her. “It is a programme put in place to enhance women across the state and we are very grateful to the First Lady who has re-defined the office through her life changing programme. It is an initiative of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to improve the lives of women in the state, so that, they can improve their lives economically and contribute meaningfully to the  development of the state.