RE: Womens Economic Rights> UPDATE ON EDO STATE WIDOWHOOD BILL

[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       practice was instituted in the first place, it is no longer valid or 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