Women Share Pains With GIDICom In Fireside Chat

The effects of the Anglophone crisis have buried so much hatred and pain in the minds of many and women are not exempted from this. Such pain and hatred have been manifested online and offline in hate speeches and violent attacks. Women have sometimes been the oppressor or the oppressed.

Against this backdrop, Global Initiative for Digital inclusion and Communication GIDICom as part of its #Act4peace237 Campaign which is a defyhatenow initiative organized a fireside chat with women, particularly women with special abilities. Their stories have gone unreported and reasons for GIDICom’s inclusiveness during dialogue.

The Moderator of the session, Rosaline Obah Akah called on the women to always actively engage such discussions, adding that it was “A heart to heart talk”.

The Executive Director of GIDICom, Pedmia Shatu, applauded the efforts made by the women to come particularly at a time when there is insecurity. She explained the concept of #DefyHateNow and #Act4peace237 Campaign which is geared towards taking small but hygienic steps towards a #HateFree online and offline space. Participants were advised to begin by advocating peace in their small spheres of influence by solving little misunderstandings around their communities.

Women during the chat shared their pain most of which included losing loved ones, property, teenage pregnancies, lack of home comfort, lack of assistance, inability for persons living with disabilities to run when there is a shootout, among others.

Women with special abilities frowned at all organizations carrying out humanitarian assistance and government for not assessing their needs. Many have been registered, struggled to reach some of the distribution sites but collected no item.

At the end of the fireside chat session, Pedmia Shatu echoed that 15 women were a good number to have started with to monitor impact. “Their stories simply tells me and my team that we don’t need to sleep but work double to see that we impact lives because these are just a few of such women going through trauma but I believe with God on our side, we shall hold on firm and bring the desired impact” GIDICom’s Executive Director added.

The women left happy to have had a shoulder to lean on which is @GIDICom through its #Act4peace237 Campaign under the banner of #DefyHateNow and promised to take small significant moves to #DefyHateNow in their various communities.