Dear Sisters, with immense joy, I write to wish you and women all over the world a Happy International Women’s Day. I celebrate your resilience, strength, power, dedication, commitment, and loyalty.
Today, as always, I am reminded of your dedication and sacrifices. Our shared vision and beliefs in justice, equity, and equality of all has propelled and energised us to action. We have laboured assiduously to be there for each other but more importantly, to touch lives. We have disproved the saying that women do not support women.
As I look around our noble association, I see women who have overcome all odds, brushed aside stereotypes and shattered glass ceilings. I see women who have kept faith with our vision to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the society. I am proud of what we have achieved by drawing strength from our individual diversities, resources, and experiences.
The theme for the International Women’s Day 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action’. If you recollect, this theme is in alignment with ‘Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality And Empowerment Of All Women And Girls By Addressing Poverty And Strengthening Institutions’ being the theme of CSW68 which coffha participated in, in 2024. Also, Csw69
calls for a review of the current challenges facing the implementation of Beijing platform of gender equality and empowerment of women. The cumulative effect of all this is that there is the need to work fast and work hard to empower women and lift women out of poverty. The urgency of this task was emphasised by the Secretary General of United Nations at CSW68 2024 ‘ to push back the push back’ by increasing advocacy and enlightenment to educate the general population on the need for financial independence for women through deliberate financial inclusive policies and favourable gender equality opportunities.
At Coffha we are deeply committed to advancing women’s rights and empowering all women in our community, particularly the poor and underprivileged. To achieve this, we have traversed states, crossed seas, climbed mountains, and trekked in dangerous terrains. We have wiped tears, cleaned mucous and picked ticks and bugs from people’s hairs and clothes. We are resolved to do more.
In 2025 we are working to accelerate action towards completing our 350-capacity skill acquisition centre at Okun Ajah. While at it, we will continue to empower indigent women, particularly widows through seed funding for small businesses, exposure to digital skill and e- commerce, feed the poor and pay hospital bills for indigent female patients so that they can return home to their families.
While playing the above vital roles please don’t forget your God given role as women and mothers. Your role is to bring forth, nurture, and preserve lives. Our world is broken and only you can fix it. Let that be our guiding principle.
Keep working and keep believing.
Augustina Igbokwe
President, COFFHA.