fBEAUTIFUL thoughts, it is said, can make you happier. And of course, being happier makes you more beautiful. This statement captures the feelings when First Ladies of South Western Nigeria met recently.

The ladies arrived, one after the other, with members of their entourage and security details trailing their steps. They all appeared radiant, beautiful and mostly clad in the southwestern traditional attires of ankaras and adires, neatly cut and well-tailored in flowing iro and buba or traditional skirts and blouse with headgears to match.

Present were Dame Abimbola Fashola of Lagos State, Sherifat Aregbesola of Osun State, Omolewa Ahmed of Kwara State, Olufunso Amosun of Ogun State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi of Ekiti State and Florence Ajimobi of Oyo State.

Held in Ado Ekiti, Bisi Fayemi, who wore a clean and well-tailored boubou outfit with variants of green, brown and white embroidery, hosted the meeting. Her green and yellow ofi hung loosely on her shoulders with headgear and jewelries to match.

There was inner glow, as the ladies shared ideas on how to create a new life style vision for their people. They took turns to discuss how to improve the lot of women in Nigeria, especially in South Western Nigeria, and on their pet projects and the successes recorded so far.

Their stories are different. Their hopes and dreams are tied to a common vision: uplifting the status of the female folk and children.

Mostly born in states different from where they are now domiciled, and presiding, they now see the world from a brighter hue.

Issues in their portfolio

AHMED

Omolewa Ahmed, who was born and raised in Ibadan, but married a Kwara man, was all pains, as she spoke on the ailments afflicting women. Almost grief stricken, she expressed concern about the manner breast/cervical cancer, a major killer of women is reducing the female population.

To mitigate effects of the diseases, her foundation, the LEAH Charity Foundation, has continued to undertake medical tests for these different cancers, at less than a thousand naira and many women are getting the necessary information and attention.

She says: “We are committed to this fight. We are also putting all hands on deck to ensure that there is improvement in the health and security of women in Kwara State.”

Omolewa adds that the major challenge of women in her state is religion. According to her, because of religious beliefs, a lot of the girls do not acquire enough education.

She is saddened by the negative effects this has on the aspirations and progress of women in Kwara State.

She, however, tells parents to make it a point of duty to raise their wards and other children in their care well, especially in the fear and admonition of the Almighty.

AREGBESOLA

For Sherifat Aregbesola, who introduced herself as being born and bred in Kwara, but married to an ljesa man, has many programmes for Osun women. The most remarkable is the Sheri Care Foundation, whose area of concern is sanitation and cleanliness.

The project teaches citizens how they can keep sicknesses and diseases at bay, by promoting basic health care in their communities, and in the state, and imbibing the principles of washing hands after working in dirty places. After all, they say, “good health begins with healthy hands.”

Apart from supporting people living with HIV/AIDS, she is at home with the idea of women monitoring climate change, as it is they and their kids who are mostly vulnerable when the environment becomes harsh.

FASHOLA

Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, originally from Oyo State, but married to a Lagosian, describes Lagos as a peculiar state, the Centre of Excellence, and a mini Nigeria.

While lamenting the fact that the office of first lady does not have constitutional backing, she supports her husband in the areas of health, education, agriculture and childcare.

The lady, who has demonstrated a lot of passion for children, says her office supports less privileged women to acquire relevant entrepreneurial skills as a way of helping them to earn some income.

This gesture, she continues, is not limited to Lagos children alone, as it cuts across various states in Nigeria.

While saying that over 750 women have been screened free of charge for cancer, reveals that the state is challenged in terms of coping with street urchins, despite the fact that most of them are not from the state. That was why she has started the project tagged Catch Them Young.

FAYEMI

Erelu Bisi Fayemi of Ekiti State says she has always been concerned about two things: breaking the cycle of poverty and ignorance and bridging the gap between existing laws and what should actually be.

Hence, Ekiti is the first to implement the Federal Government Gender Policy. She informs that her pet project, Ekiti Development Foundation, has been at the forefront of women empowerment in the state.

She points out that if young girls begin to see more female role models, it will go a long way to encourage them to develop their potentials.

Fayemi is happy that the Deputy Governor of Ekiti is a woman; hence, girls can aspire to be in that position, someday soon. And commends the forthrightness of the state to have four women in House of Assembly, and more women in Boards and Parastatals.

On the office of the First Lady, she says wives of governors be supported to achieve more with the womenfolk, rather than the focus on the flamboyance of the office.

AMOSUN

Olufunso Amosun says she was born in the United Kingdom, bred in lbadan, but is from Osun State. Her marriage to an Ogun State indigene has opened her eyes to a lot of values.

She says women in Ogun State are lucky, in the sense that they enjoy free health care, such as breast cancer screening, which is free. Many women have also been empowered through vocational training.

She reveals that she has been supporting and empowering Ogun women from her private purse and raising support for women, which, is not always about giving cash, but empowerment in terms of skills. Widows and the aged form an integral part of her programmes for vulnerable women.

AJIMOBI

Mrs. Florence Ajimobi of Oyo State says her first passion is to promote the health of Oyo State women, widows and the aged. She sensitises parents on the different forms of cancers and how they can be prevented.

Through her pet project, Educate A Rural Child, her group has been going from one community to the next, providing textbooks, writing materials and uniforms. She encouraged the first ladies to continue to work in their various communities and not to relent in developing the grassroots, despite the fact that the office of the First Lady is not recognized constitutionally.

Other Issues

Indecent Dressing

ON indecent dressing and rape, Fayemi says it is a private decision. In her words, rational people do not need a guide on appropriate dressing. She, however, advises women and young girls to learn to stand in the front of a mirror each morning after dressing and let them judge for themselves if the way they are dressed reflects what they aspires to be in the future.

She also tells women to speak out and break the silence when confronted with rape or sexual harassment.

“Stop covering up abusers. Women are special beings. They should give the men respect that is due them, but not see themselves as inferior to men in any way.”

According to Aregbesola, parents should take up the responsibility of monitoring and talking to their children, especially on the type of clothes they wear. This, she notes, could be a source of temptation to men.

While raising objection that dresses lead to rape, Fashola wondered what sort of dress a 13-year old girl would wear to tempt an 85-year old man. She believes it is a free world where people should be allowed to wear what suits them.

She, however, says it is only irresponsible randy men who rape young innocent girls old enough to be their daughters.

Fashola says the laws should be allowed to take full course on such offenders, rather than allow families to intervene.

On place of Women in society

THE First ladies unanimously agreed that they would continue to initiate programmes that would boost the image of women, especially young girls. This, they said would go a long way to assist them attain their full potentials, instead of seeing themselves as lesser beings or second-class citizens.

On her part, Amosun believes women should campaign and raise awareness about the place of women/girls in society. They should not be lazy; rather, they should work hard, learn different skills and develop their career until they get to the very top.

Aregbesola appreciates the fact that first ladies have listening ears of their husbands and that a lot of people go through them to get the attention and support of their husbands.

According to her, wives of governors should use their good office to better the lot of women. She even made a case for more women in Osun House of Assembly, where there is only one female member.

For Ahmed, women who are opportune to be in position of authority should stop turning themselves into tin gods and make sure they help other women to get to the top.

She decries the situation where highly placed women become inaccessible after being appointed or elected. “Women should work for the betterment of other women,” she retorts.

By the time the discussion ended, the ladies knew that they had spent quality time knowing one another, as well as brainstorming on issues that affect their people.

They left the meeting with the resolve to work more closely, and with fellow stakeholders, policy makers, civil society organisations - particularly women groups, academics, politicians, professional women, women in grassroots communities and religious leaders to achieve their goals.