Introduction to the Town Hall Meeting
The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has admonished men to respect and love their wives, cautioning them to desist from the act of assaulting their spouses. Gbadebo said this in Abeokuta at a town hall meeting on the role of men in protecting women and girls.
The Event and Its Purpose
The town hall meeting attracted traditional rulers, community leaders, opinion and religious leaders within Egbaland. The theme of the event was: “Strengthening Family and Community Bonds: The Role of Men in Protecting Women and Girls,” organised by Women Radio 91.7FM, with support from Ford Foundation and Women Empowerment Foundation.
The Traditional Ruler’s Advice
The traditional ruler said any man who beats his wife does not demonstrate bravery, but an act being perpetrated by lazy and unserious men. He advised men to always consider women and girls as special creatures and weaker beings, that should be treated with utmost care. “God has made men the head, our prayer is that God should give all men the capacity to play their roles as the head in the family. The reasons why we are here today is to understand how we can care for women and girl child. Women are always seen as the weaker sex, so as men, if you have a responsible and respectful wife, you have to cherish and love her. As men, our patience cannot be enough, we must exercise a lot of patience in our relationship with our wives and children,” he said.
Recommendations and Resolutions
Alake implored men to take the programme seriously, saying that it would help and give them guidelines on how to effectively manage the home. The meeting featured panel discussions, remarks by stakeholders including youths who made recommendations on how to check abuse of women and girls. In a communique at the end of the meeting, the stakeholders stressed the need to encourage religious leaders to routinely speak on issues of family during services and community meetings. The meeting also urged security agencies to allow laws to take its full course and not to take abuse of family and girls, particularly rape and defilement as family disputes. The meeting also recommended that cultural values and how to manage homes should be inculcated in the young ones.
Future Plans
It was recommended that another edition of town hall meeting should involve more youths who are currently more affected by lack of societal and cultural knowledge.
Conclusion
The town hall meeting was a success, with stakeholders making significant recommendations to curb the abuse of women and girls. The meeting emphasized the importance of men taking their roles as heads of the family seriously and treating their wives and children with love and respect.
FAQs
- What was the theme of the town hall meeting?
The theme of the event was: “Strengthening Family and Community Bonds: The Role of Men in Protecting Women and Girls.” - Who organized the town hall meeting?
The meeting was organised by Women Radio 91.7FM, with support from Ford Foundation and Women Empowerment Foundation. - What was the recommendation for security agencies?
The meeting urged security agencies to allow laws to take its full course and not to take abuse of family and girls, particularly rape and defilement as family disputes.
