Curtain comes down Lagos women's conference

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Lagos - Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has called for the protection of women’s and children’s rights.

He was addressing delegates at the closure of the three-day National Women Conference organized by the Committee of Wives of Lagos Officials (COWLSO).

The premier said the investment in the protection of women’s and children’s rights was more enduring than the claim of appointing them into political positions.

“Some people are claiming that their achievement is the appointment of a number of women to certain political offices and this is their claim to fame. But for me, this is a very low benchmark for measuring success. If you claim a trophy for appointing a woman I think it is a very low benchmark,” he said at the well-attended event.

“I think also that it shows a lack of understanding of the issues that agitate women. In my view, I think women are asking for justice and fairness, they are not asking for favours. And I think the profound issues about protecting them, protecting their children and protecting their assets are much more enduring investments that we can make in order to ensure that women get fairness and they get justice”, the governor said.

He called on the women, especially those engaged in business and other forms of entrepreneurship, to endeavour to keep their business premises clean at all times.

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“As you leave here and as you think about succession in your businesses, please ask yourselves one question, “Can my children come to my workplace?” This is the question that I have asked some of our businessmen and women as we seek to improve sanitation and some of them have replied that they can’t come because it is dirty”, Fashola said.

“Now, how long is that business going to last if by acts of omission of the things we can control we make it impossible or difficult for our children to come to our workplace”, the Governor asked urging them to “begin to do some little things to make our business places, no matter the kind of business that you do so long as it is a legitimate business, a place where our children can stop by on their way from school or come and sit with us on Saturday or whatever day to participate in it.”

Fashola urged women to embrace the culture of energy conservation, which formed part of the sessions of the conference.

“Without embracing that culture in your daily energy consumption, given the failure of government at the centre to do so, your expenditure on power every year will erode any anticipated profit in business or deprive you of money you would otherwise invest in more important family needs.”