Drive to empower women and make them become independent to properly fend for themselves and children were the main goals for establishment of the Women Empowerment and Legal Aid, (WELA).
This was disclosed by Chairperson of WELA, Mrs Funmi Falana recently during the ceremony to launch WELA’s vocational training college and the 4th Annual Graduation Ceremony in Lagos.
Mrs Falana in her welcome address said majority of women and children have been subjected to lots of discriminations and gender gap in Nigeria, which need to be addressed.
According to her, the discriminations have led to “gender barriers that subjugate women and girls in Nigeria, these has compelled WELA to take legal and administrative measures to challenge all these challenges.”
WELA boss said the organization has “assisted venerable and disadvantaged women in terms of free legal services, promote international instruments and laws recognizing the rights of women, challenge statutory and cultural practices that discriminate against women, initiate programs that promote positive social reforms in the society, make provision for resources for the education, health-care and general welfare of motherless babies, orphans and physically challenged people and provide resource center for vocational, small scale businesses and seminars towards empowering women.”
Revealing the history of WELA Institute Academy, Falana noted that the institute established in January 11th, 2021, was aimed at skill acquisition and empowerment generally and that there are seven departments set up to educate women and those in need of empowerment on basic skills which includes hairdressing, ICT, catering, manufacturing of hats, soap, sanitizers, shoe making, make up artistry and tailoring.
The keynote speaker, Mrs Ngozi Iwere commended WELA for what it is doing to improve the worth of women and children in the society as well as elevating their status and puting women and children on the path of ending discriminations against them.
She said in Nigeria, “domestic violence is pandemic” and argued that it needs to be tackled headlong to avoid spreading beyond what we can bear.
She challenged Nigerians to support WELA in it’s drive to eliminate domestic violence as well as eradicating discrimination against women and girl child.
In his own remarks, leading human rights lawyer and activist, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, stated that in Nigeria
“domestic violence is pandemic”.
Falana commended WELA and it’s promoter, Mrs Falana for what the organisation was doing to alleviate poverty, more particularly from among women.
