A press realease from nationalwire.com.ng, “Nigerian Women Must Demand Their Political Power, Rights – Abiola Costello”

01.09.18

Founder of Kudirat Initiatives For Democracy (KIND), Hafsat Abiola-Costello has challenged Nigerian women to demand their political power and rights.

Abiola-Costello, daughter of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola whose wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was also assassinated in Lagos, gave the charge recently at an event organized by her organization in Lagos.

The event themed Consultative Forum on Women Political Participation in Lagos State featured several facilitators and participants from Lagos and beyond.

The activist said Nigerian women are among the strongest in the world and the most relegated on earth. “Women are not really valued in our society, we are almost like slaves. This situation is not going to change until we demand the power and the right that are ours,” she said.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS: CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON WOMEN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN FCT, ABUJA

12.07.17

CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON WOMEN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN FCT, ABUJA

The Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) is organizing a consultative forum to advance the course of women political participation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The forum is being organized under the Voice Influencing Project of KIND to seek ways of influencing relevant organizations to enable them to strengthen the capacity of women political aspirants and to foster women’s participation in politics in the FCT. Target participants at the forum include representatives of political parties, INEC, female political aspirants from the wards to the LGAs in the FCT, Democracy NGOs, female politicians and political office holders and relevant MDAs. The strategies to be articulated in this forum and subsequent engagements with the stakeholders are expected to lead to an increase in the number of women taking part in active politics and better advocacy by Democracy NGOs for women’s participation in politics.

The forum is scheduled as follows.

Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Venue: Fountain Hall, Rockview Royale Hotel, Abuja

Time: 10 am prompt

THEME – EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR BETTER POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN FCT, ABUJA

LEAD SPEAKER – Professor A. T. Simbine, National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja

LCCI WOMEN GROUP WORKSHOP

11.29.17

On Tuesday 28th November 2017, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Women Group) organised a workshop themed “Women Empowerment and National Development: The Nexus of Policies, Laws and Practice”. @ the Henry Fajemirokun Hall, Commerce House Victoria Island, Lagos.

See Below Pictures of the Event:

Hafsat Abiola-Costello receives an award at the event for her outstanding performance in supporting women political participation in Nigeria.

VITAL VOICES second annual Incredible Women Gala in association with Estée Lauder.

11.06.17

#PORTERIncredibleWomen

Brie Larson and Kate Bosworth joined PORTER’s Editor-in-Chief, Lucy Yeomans and Universal Pictures Chairman and Vital Voices board memberDonna Langley as they co-hosted the second annual Incredible Women Gala in association with Estée Lauder. The evening benefitted Vital Voices, highlighting network activist, Hafsat Abiola.

HAFSAT ABIOLA-COSTELLO

“No one questions when women and girls accept the lot that we’ve been given. Yet, we are questioned when we seek to change the way things are. I was 19 when my mother was killed for fighting for change in Nigeria. So it was at 19 that I decided to do more than what my society expected.”

Hafsat Abiola-Costello believes the challenges facing Nigeria offer a unique opportunity for women’s leadership to emerge. Through her nonprofit – the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) – she’s developing a rising generation of women leaders. Her life’s work is a tribute to her parents, who were assassinated for their pro-democracy activism.

As a cabinet member of the Ogun State government, she works to keep communities safe and advance women’s equal rights. Long before Boko Haram made headlines, Hafsat took dangerous trips to areas targeted by the extremist group. She organized coalitions of women to demand action against the group and continues to advocate for justice.

A visit to the Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Lagos for Partnership.

10.24.17

KIND visits to (CCD ). Center for Citizens with Disabilities in Lagos for partnership in respect of its ongoing project on ending Violence, Marginalization, and Discrimination against Women and persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.

Project Alert Partner with KIND to organize a program tagged Gender-Based Violence and women with disabilities.

10.24.17

Project Alert Partner with KIND to organize a program tagged Gender-Based Violence and women with disabilities.

Date: 18th & 19th of October 2017

The program was focused basically on creating awareness amongst CSOs on issues on Gender-Based Violence and how it affects Women with Disabilities; Networks and links mainstream CSOs organizers and Disabilities organization so that they work together to achieve their goals.

Mrs. Josephine of Project alert affirmed that NGOs cannot solve the problem of the masses alone but need to collaborate with other NGOs because each has its area of specialization. Also, she mentioned people /organizations that are to tackle VAW with disabilities which are: Religious leaders, Traditional Leaders, the CSOs and Lagos state office of the Disabilities Affairs(LASODA) since the programme would be carried out in Lagos State

Mr. Alejo Adegboyega the Deputy General Manager of LASODA commended the organizers for her roles in promoting actions of GBV against women with disabilities (WWDs) in Lagos State. LASODA was established by Lagos disability law in July 2011 to seek redress for PWDs and protect them against any form of violence or discrimination they may face in their communities. LASODA is to work to achieve the following:

Organize sign language programme to sensitize the public/ PWDs i.e. teach them on how to communicate most especially the deaf.
Organized 500m empowerment fund for PWDs in the state and also invited them for a roundtable launch.
Registration of all PWDs; this will ensure proper quotation of data for better involvement e.g. Education, Free buses, free medical etc. the registered PWDs would be given blue badge, certificate of registration, ID Cards which will enable them to benefit from social services.

All NGOs that work with VAWG are advised to register their organizations with LASODA…. Registration requirements are as follows;

Must have a certificate of registration
Have updated audited accounts
Organization registration name and office
There must be a symbolic relationship i.e partake in the activities of LASODA, this will show the seriousness or commitment
Submission of report activities carried with PWDS
Registration period is 18months minimum, Maximum is 24 months

Mr. Alejo Adegboyega advised all partners and participants to go to LASODA website for more information and check the disabilities bill law passed in 2011 in Lagos state. A suggestion raised was that each organization should send at least one of their staff for sign language training organized by LASODA for proper implementation of programmes with PWDs.

Mr. David Anyaele the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) gave a statistical analysis saying that people with disabilities is 2.32% in Nigeria and 60% of this figure is between 18 years and above. The sex distribution of PWDs; Male 52.5% while Female is 47.5%. In his presentation, he made it clear that World Bank and WHO report in 2011 stated that more than 1 billion persons in the world are living with disabilities. He said some part of the world believes that PWDs are SPECIAL PEOPLE, which is not true because we have the equal right since we are all SPECIAL. Some of the PWDs were not born with any form of disability; it may be Through an Accident, Illness and much more.