University set to publish multidisciplinary journal on women studies

The women association of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, (MOUAUWA) is set to publish a peer review journal called Multidisciplinary Journal of Women Studies that will guarantee originality and speedy publication of high quality research papers. MOUAUWA’s president, Mrs. Bertha Otunta, announced this at a forum of the association tagged ‘Press for Progress.’

The Vice Chancellor of Imo State University (IMSU), Professor Victoria Obasi, also presented a keynote paper titled
‘Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives.’ The topic was the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration (IWD). Obasi harped on the need to close the gap between the male and female gender.

Otunta, who is also the wife of MOUAU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Otunta, beckoned on the public to submit manuscripts for the journal’s publication. She said the forum was partially used by MOUAUWA to commemorate women’s day and refocus on women’s past achievements while pressing forward for more progress in future.

Keynote speaker, Prof. Obasi, whose presentation highlighted gender inequality in the society and how to address it, posited that “to achieve equality, more women must be in charge at all levels of management in private and public sectors.”

She also noted that women and girls needed to be freed from all forms of violence and discrimination in public and private spheres, adding, “Media and entertainment industries must eliminate stereotypes and unequal gender norms. Men must be involved in this crusade and all obnoxious cultural practices challenged.”

Other panaceas she listed included adoption of gender and sexual harassment policies in all tertiary institutions, adoption of gender mainstreaming and leadership curriculum by schools at all levels, with research findings through conferences and workshops on issues concerning women mandatorily implemented with concrete strategies.

According to Obasi, the time to press for progress and action for all these abuses against the female gender to stop is now. For this to happen, she said, “We must change our attitudes and the perception of women and men towards gender equality. We must all begin to press for progress in all aspects of human development and begin to see that progress is made in the empowerment of women economically in (order to reduce poverty), in education, in an increased number of women in leadership positions, political positions and formal economic sector.”

Highpoints of event were the presentation of Umudike Chapter of the Organisation of Women In Science & Development World (OWSD) and public presentation of the MOUAUWA table water named ‘MOUAUWA.’ The University Governing Council, represented Prof. Kaka Waziri Bukar, announced N5 million support for the commercial production of the table water.

Earlier, MOUAUWA visited and gave succor to motherless babies and homes of physically challenged persons in the state, effected free breast and cervical cancer examination for women in the university’s host communities, women awareness campaign for its Skill Acquisition Centre project, with its foundation already laid.