The wife of Ebonyi state governor Chief Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru on Wednesday described Ebonyi women as quiet engine rooms of our communities noting that their contributions and collective power to shape the future is well acknowledged.

Mrs. Nwifuru stated this at Pa Ngele Oruta township stadium in Abakaliki during the 2026 Ebonyi state women’s August meeting noted that our women may not always make the headlines but they are the quiet engine rooms of our communities.

Speaking on the theme The Power Of Resilient Women in Nation Building, Mrs. Nwifuru challenged the women to move from resilience as survival to resilience as transformation urging them to consider what they can do for their families, communities and state not what government can do for them.

“As Ebonyi women, we must embrace our shared responsibility by not only asking what government can do for us, but also considering what we can do for our families, communities and State. The August Meeting provides a valuable platform to strengthen this spirit of collective action and responsibility”Mrs. Nwifuru said.

She it is always a beautiful thing when women come together, not merely to celebrate themselves, but to reflect on their lives, their responsibilities, their struggles, their achievements and, most importantly, their collective power to shape the future.

The Ebonyi First Lady thanked them for their support adding that August Meeting has always represents belonging, responsibility, unity, and, above all the strength of women to organise themselves around the welfare of their families and communities.

“Today, as we gather for the 2026 Ebonyi State Women’s August Meeting Grand Finale, we are here to think deeply about a subject that speaks to the very essence of who we are as women. Our theme, “The Power of Resilient Women in Nation Building,” is both a celebration and a challenge” she added.

“Since the coming of this administration, the August Meeting has remained an important moment in our annual calendar, not simply as a celebration of Ebonyi women, but as a platform through which women can reconnect with government, reconnect with their communities, and more importantly, reconnect with their own capacity to make a difference” Nwifuru noted.

Further on the theme she explained that the word resilience has become common, but believed the need to look at it beyond the usual definition stressing that Resilience is not simply the ability to endure hardship, not about telling women to continue suffering because they are strong but the capacity to recover, adapt, learn, and rebuild by facing issues without letting them decide the outcome of one’s life.

“When I think of resilience, I think of the Ebonyi woman, the farmer who rises before dawn, the mother determined to educate her children, the businesswoman who keeps going despite challenges, the widow rebuilding her life, the young woman pursuing education and skills, and the woman who works tirelessly while caring for her family. She represents courage, perseverance, and the strength to keep moving forward”.

“These women may not always make the headlines, but they are the quiet engine rooms of our communities. That is resilience. But today, I want to challenge us to move resilience to another level. We must move from resilience as survival to resilience as transformation”.

“As Ebonyi women, we must embrace our shared responsibility by not only asking what government can do for us, but also considering what we can do for our families, communities and State. The August Meeting provides a valuable platform to strengthen this spirit of collective action and responsibility”.

Mrs. Nwifuru stated that as Christian women, their resilience must be rooted in faith reminding them the story of Esther which reminds us that God places women in positions of influence for a purpose.

“Our influence, whether in our homes, communities, workplaces, churches, or public life, should be used to make a difference. Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary in doing good, while Proverbs 31:25 describes a woman clothed with strength and dignity, confident about the future”.

“Our faith, therefore, must go beyond prayer. We must put it into action by promoting peace, raising responsible children, serving our communities, and contributing to the development of Ebonyi State. Faith gives us hope, but it must also give us the courage to act”.

On forthcoming elections, she noted that women have a responsibility to look beyond the excitement of political campaigns and reflect carefully on the journey we have taken as a State.

“We must ask ourselves a simple but important question: Who has stood with the Ebonyi woman when it mattered most?”.

“We have seen an administration that has consistently recognized that women are not little in the development of Ebonyi State, but important partners in it”.

“Under the leadership of my dear husband, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, our women have continued to receive attention through appointments, programmes and policies aimed at improving their welfare, economic opportunities, healthcare, education and participation in the development of our State”.

“This support is not something we should take for granted. As women, we must remember those who have remembered us, support those who have supported us and stand with leadership that has demonstrated genuine commitment to the wellbeing and advancement of our people”.

“The People’s Charter of Needs reminds us that government should be connected to the real needs of the people. We have therefore seen the importance placed on issues that affect our families and communities”.

“As women, we should recognise and appreciate leadership that listens, responds, and creates opportunities for its people”.

“The forthcoming election therefore gives us another opportunity to make our voices count. Let us appreciate the leadership that has made room for women, defend the interests of our families and communities, and stand for continuity of programmes and policies that have positively impacted our people”.

“Great Ebonyi women, it is time to show appreciation and vote for all APC candidates in the forthcoming election. They have supported us; it’s now time to show our support.