Benue first lady, Eunice, advocates women’s right

Wife of the Benue State governor, Dr. Eunice Ortom, has called for all hands to be on deck to stamp out harmful practices against widows in the society.

Mrs. Ortom stated this at a one-day consultative forum with stakeholders on proposed bills for eliminating harmful widowhood practices and women’s inclusion in traditional leadership in the state, held, yesterday, in Makurdi, the state capital.

The event was organised by Eunice Spring of Life Foundation, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady.

The foundation is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by the first lady Another NGO, Benue State Gender-Based Violence (GBV), also collaborated in formulating the bill.

Ortom lamented that a lot of women have lost their lives as a result of harmful widowhood practices, stressing that many widows were ejected from their houses after the death of their husbands.

She said: “They are denied even access to farmlands and right to other inheritance. In some cases, their children are taken away from them and they are denied access to them.”

She added: “It is the responsibility of all and sundry to join hands and fight, to end the harmful practices against widows.”

Also, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Tabitha Igirgi, commended the First Lady for initiating the bills, stressing that the ministry would give desired support.