Womens Economic Rights> SUPPORT FOR EDO STATE WIDOWHOOD BILL

[jjowa@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Quoting omofola <omofola@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> We at Nigerian Alliance for Democracy (NAD) fully support the Widow's
> Bill
>        and urge Governor Igbinedion to sign it into law. Many women for
> 
> generations to
>        come will bless the day the bill becomes law, bless the person
> who had 
> the
>        courage to sign it and bless those who had the foresight to work
> for 
> it. It is the
>        right thing to do - for the sake of women, their offsprings, male
> and 
> female, for
>        history, and for the sake of culture. Culture is important, but
> it is 
> not static. People
>        create a culture or tradition so there is no reason to let that
> culture 
> rule or enslave
>        us.
> 
>        The Governor should not be dissuaded by lopsided cultural
> arguments 
> made by
>        the likes of Chief Amure. If there was any crucial reason why the
> 
> widow's
>        practice was instituted in the first place, it is no longer valid
> or 
> necessary in the
>        times we now live in. We do not say because a hundred years ago,
> there 
> was no
>        electricity, it would be disrespectful to our ancestors to start
> using 
> it.
> 
>        We commend Benin Women=B4s Right Watch and all involved for their
> 
> initiative
>        regarding this bill. It is a giant step forward for humanity -
> for you 
> touch a
>        a woman, you touch a whole community. More grease to your elbows.
> There 
> are
>        many more moribound customs we need to weed out of our various 
> communities,
>        but there are also worthy ones to keep and some to improve. The
> rule of 
> the
>        thumb is, people's welfare comes first.
> 
>        Omofolabo Ajayi, Nigerian Alliance for Democracy, Lawrence,
> Kansas, 
> U.S.A.
> 
>        Dr. Omofolabo Ajayi,
>        Institute fur Afrikastudien,
>        Bayreuh University, D-95445 Bayreuh,
>        Germany
> 
> Dr. Omofolabo Ajayi,
> Institute fur Afrikastudien,
> Bayreuh University, 
> D-95445 Bayreuh,
> Germany
> 
>