The President, Mobilisers International Ministry and Executive Director, Fan Foundation, who is also the Coordinator of Enugu Women’s Prayer Network and the immediate Past Chairman of the Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), Dr. Mrs. Favour Ugwuanyi Mni, has urged women across the globe, particularly in Nigeria, to always speak out against domestic violence and external threats.
Dr. Ugwuanyi made this appeal on Thursday during a four-day women empowerment program organized by Stand Up for Women Society (SWS) International, held at Rockview Hotels, Owerri, Imo State.
Addressing the participants on the realities and challenges women face, along with strategies for addressing them, Dr. Ugwuanyi explained that societal issues such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and other forms of insecurity severely impact women’s mental health, economic stability, and overall well-being. Many women are forced to limit their activities, reduce their economic participation, or even relocate abroad to ensure their safety.
She highlighted that the lack of adequate protection, compounded by cultural and societal norms and economic instability, continues to hinder women, particularly in the Southeast of Nigeria.
“Women in Southeast Nigeria are constantly under threat, not just from domestic violence but from external dangers like kidnappings and armed robbery. These challenges often force women to withdraw from society, limiting their potential contributions to economic growth,” Dr. Ugwuanyi noted.
She added, “We must break these barriers by providing women with platforms to voice their concerns, ensuring legal reforms that offer protection, and strengthening community support systems.”
Dr. Ugwuanyi called on society to prioritize women’s empowerment and urged advocacy for laws that protect women, alongside fostering community support and promoting collaboration among policymakers, community leaders, and law enforcement agencies as key measures to alleviate women’s sufferings.
“Empowering women to speak out and defend themselves is not just a personal battle; it’s a collective responsibility. If we do not act now, these external forces will continue to dominate our communities,” she said.
Dr. Ugwuanyi however, urged that safeguarding women’s security is not just a matter for women but a societal priority that requires urgent and coordinated action from all stakeholders.
Dr. Favour Ugwuanyi, who is also an educationist and God’s minister, spoke on marital insecurity, an issue she said has caused many women to feel threatened in their marriages due to the activities of side chicks or infidelity. She called on women to abstain from such actions and face these issues with grit, emphasizing that failing to do so means women are not fulfilling their roles as builders of the home.
“Women must begin to face their problems and avoid chasing shadows. We have seen many women leaving their homes over issues of infidelity, most of them without any clear evidence, but based on mere suspicion. When we, as home builders, leave our homes, they will scatter and spoil. This will have a lot of negative effects on society because our children will no longer receive the needed moral training, but will start indulging in illicit activities such as prostitution, armed robbery, kidnapping, and other social vices.”
“One crucial question that we need to ask ourselves is, who are the mothers of kidnappers, prostitutes, home breakers, armed robbers, and so on?” This, she said, attests to the belief that 50% of the insecurity problems facing us as a society are caused by women, due to our inability to play our roles on time as planned by God.”
“It is time for us to rethink and stop feeling insecure in our marriages. We must limit our involvement in social media and learn how to give maximum attention to our homes.”
