Empowering women on their rights is key
Odion Anavhe is the founder of Theodora Anavhe Adamu Foundation (TAAF). She is passionate about women rights and empowerment especially as it concerns their reproductive health rights. The young lady who is also the Secretary of the National Council Of Child Rights Advocates Nigeria (NACCRAN) FCT Chapter in this interview speaks on awareness on maternal health, protecting children’s rights among others.
As a young woman what drives your interest in women empowerment?
I suffered depression when I lost my sister in 2012 as a result of pregnancy complications which would have easily been avoided. So after going through depression for almost a year, I drew experience from the pain I suffered to help other women in need.
My sister was an educated lady and one of the best in her class. If that could happen to her, I thought about other young ladies who will never have the opportunity of knowing that women had complications and die during child birth. There are lot of women out there who are not aware of pregnancy complications.
After doing some research and talking to other young people like me, I found out that they were also in the same shoes with me. They didn’t know things like high blood pressure in pregnancy. So I believe that if young people know about their reproductive health rights there is more tendency that when they start bearing children they will be conscious of it.
How are you creating awareness in the grassroots since maternal, child mortality and home delivery are more common there?
I started with a project called Maisha which means life in Swahili language. What I am doing right now is establishing reproductive health rights clubs in government secondary schools that will empower young boys and girls with information about their reproductive health rights.
I believe that one of the rights people have is access to quality information on their reproductive health. It is also important for women. That is why I am starting out with creating awareness for young girls.
In future I hope to engage in programmes on creating awareness for pregnant women. But at the moment I am only doing so with young boys and girls in secondary schools between the ages of 13 to 19 years.
How has your organization helped women and children so far?
We have the reproductive health clubs in secondary schools where young people come in, read and share ideas. Women don’t just come from heaven. Young girls become mothers and women. So impacting young girls translates to impacting women.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women to give birth in.
I am not just looking at women now but also the generation of girls that will become mothers in future.
One of the cases we have handled includes that of a girl called Kelechi. She already had her first child and was expecting her second child. She did not see the need why she should attend ante-natal services in the hospital.
Maybe because her mother and grandmother has told her that if you are strong, you can give birth to strong babies , after talking to her on the importance of going for regular ante-natal care and medical check, she took in for her second child and later told me that she has been going for regular ante-natal and medical checkups.
What are the issues around children that give you cause for concern?
Firstly it is education; education like they say is empowerment. It is key and the fundamental right for any child no matter his or her economic status whether rich or poor.
I think basic education should not be a luxury. I have seen so many children hawking on the streets when they should be in school. I had the opportunity of interviewing some young girls as regards the International Women’s Day recently and it is like they are a hundred miles backwards. They really want to make something for themselves but never got the opportunity to be educated.
Like when I asked what they want done for their lives to be better, they said they need money. Money cannot lead to anything. If I give someone that is not educated a hundred million that is how far it goes but if you are educated , you have this footing to plan, strategize and even use 1000 naira to make one or ten million.
Another issue is that of the protection of child rights, we are still battling about the child rights act, and the Chibok girls that have been abducted.
It gives me cause for concern and is one of the things I will like to work on especially in some communities in the north where girls do not have opportunity to go to school and are married off at tender age. It is also one of the things we are working on to ensure that children stay in school and are educated.
Empowering women to know their rights is key. As a woman if I know my rights it will help me make the right decisions whether I am in my work place or in my family. So educating women to know their rights, their rights to education, their rights to reproductive health, even in the country where they are is paramount.
And it will help them go really far. For empowerment to happen you first have to be educated. Education is paramount for the girl-child and for every woman in the country. It is not negotiable.
Advise for young girls out there?
They should seek every opportunity to develop themselves. They should read and look for people that can mentor them. For example if I am aspiring to own a very big school, I should look for someone that has gotten there or has a school. The person will be able to put me through the hurdles he or she has passed through and how to escape them to reach my goal.
They should always read and not look down on themselves. And also find people who can mentor and help them grow to reach their desired goal.