Author: TUNJI OLANIYI

The Great Women of Enugu Worldwide Association (GWEWA) recently elected its new executive with a promise to empower more women.

The newly-elected president, Mrs. Amaka Udejiofor, who spoke on her plan, stated that she would reconcile offending parties and bring back lost love to the association and then move towards empowering the women.

Mrs.Udejiofor said: “For us to move forward, we can’t keep on repeating the same thing. If we decide to throw away our past, I think we’ll go a very long way. My plan towards this association, first of all, is to bring back that love, which we lost. We are just two years old. This is a new association.

“By the time we finish our tenure, we are going to empower a lot of them because we have some widows in our midst. In other associations, we have been bringing all Enugu women and other Igbo women together every August. We do it in the Association of Enugu State Development Union because I am the vice president there. So, we intend to introduce it to this new association”.

The Coordinator of the Association, Mrs. Hope Ezeanioma, who said the election was the first of its kind in the two-year old association, thanked God for the success of the election despite misgivings.

Mrs. Ezeanioma,  stating that the association was borne out of passion for some Enugu women who were marginalized and backward, said the association was her vision, as she saw the need for women to come together to accomplish their purpose and maintain the culture and value of Enugu state.

“In this present dispensation, we all know that there is a need for our women to come together under one umbrella.

She said: “This time, it’s no longer for the indigenes only but also for every woman who has a relationship with the state. In this body, we have room for the married, the unmarried daughters of Enugu and those that are not from Enugu but married into Enugu”.

She explained that before the association was created, there was an existing one called Association of Enugu State Development Unions (ESDU), which, according to her, did not allow women partake fully, adding that she saw the need to bring on board GWEWA to get Enugu women together and empowered in various forms.

Mrs. Ezeanioma further stated: “When I was making consultations for this association to start, we found out that in Lagos, there was an existing association called ESDU. All the towns have their representatives in that association, both men and women, but some of our women are restricted from joining. If your town did not send you as a representative, you have no business being there.This was a limitation.

“But this GWEWA is all encompassing because we are the daughters, from the origin of Enugu, we need to bring our wives together. Enugu has a rich culture and tradition that we need to teach our daughters and wives to preserve.   We teach our women how to tie wrapper, scarf, make some products, cook our native delicacies, and learn our Igbo culture among others”.

The coordinator who also noted that the group has been empowering women and hopes to do more, further said: “We empower widows and less privileged women and hope to do more. For these past two years, we have been doing individual support, helping, building, and ups calling.

“But this time, we want to take it to a greater height. Every year, we have a vision of empowering two women who are not doing anything. Next year, 2025, by the grace of God, we want to start with widows. We will empower them so that their children can be trained”.

She disclosed that the association hoped to do more and let the public know what it has been able to achieve and what “we are doing before soliciting support from others and well-meaning Nigerians, home and abroad.

She noted that before the association was berthed, there was an existing one called Association of Enugu State Development Unions (ESDU), which did not allow women partake fully, so she saw the need to to bring on board GWEWA to get Enugu women together and empowered in various forms.

“When I was making consultations for this association to start, we found out that in Lagos, there was an existing association called ESDU.

“All the towns have their representatives in that association, both men and women, but some of our women are restricted from joining. If your town did not send you as a representative, you have no business being there. This is considered a limitation.

“But this GWEWA is all encompassing because we are the daughters, from the origin of Enugu, we need to bring our wives together. Enugu has a rich culture and tradition that we need to teach our daughters and wives to preserve it. We teach our women how to tie wrapper, scarf, make some products, cook our native delicacies, and learn our Igbo culture among others,” she said.

The coordinator also noted that the group has been empowering women and hopes to do more, adding: “We empower widows and less privileged women and hope to do more. For these past two years, we have been doing individual support, helping, building, and ups calling. But this time around, we want to take it to a greater height. Every year, we have a vision of empowering two women who are not doing anything. Next year, 2025, by the grace of God, we want to start with widows. We will empower them so that their children can be trained” .

She disclosed that the association hopes to do more and let the public know what it has been able to achieve and what “we are doing before soliciting support from others and well-meaning Nigerians, home and abroad.

You need to tell people what you have in mind, what you want to do. When they see the picture, they will be able to see where you are going. Then you can solicit for support and they will answer you.”

On the new executive of the association, she was optimistic that they would drive the agenda successfully.

“So, our vision is to have great women of Enugu, you know, our CAC reads worldwide, meaning that the association should be worldwide. It will get to abroad soon. So, other states will soon emerge, hopefully, and with one vision and one goal. We want to build a formidable, strong force of women,” she stressed.