Lenten period: Catholic secretariat campaigns for women’s rights

The Secretary General of the secretariat, Very Rev  Father Michael Ekpenyong at a press conference in Abuja said that since lent was a period for Catholics to reflect and search their souls, it was pertinent to focus on critical social issues that affect human beings in general and families in particular. “We are embarking on […]

The Secretary General of the secretariat, Very Rev  Father Michael Ekpenyong at a press conference in Abuja said that since lent was a period for Catholics to reflect and search their souls, it was pertinent to focus on critical social issues that affect human beings in general and families in particular.

“We are embarking on a new feminism that will nurture those natural things that sustain the family. We are raising awareness on those things that dehumanize women,” Father Ekpenyong emphasised the focus of the campaign. With the theme: “The Dignity of the Nigeria Woman: Her Right to Womanhood,” the priest explained that issues which informed this year’s campaign, being the fifth since it debuted in 2006, are social structures such as culture, marital relations and widowhood practices.

According to him, “A reflection of our society shows that our social system has built up structures that seem to support domination of women, who are considered to be society’s weaker members. Our structures, such as culture, marital relations and negative widowhood practices are fraught with inherently evil, unjust and inequitable practices against women.

“It is common knowledge that in our country women hardly have basic rights of their own. They are victims of forced marriages, teen marriages, female genital mutilation and wife inheritance.”

Father Ekpenyong added that other dehumanizing widowhood practices such as prolonged mourning for widows, restriction to their deceased husbands’ houses, forbidden from eating certain food items, forced to sleep with the corpse and forced out of their matrimonial homes were practices that should be questioned. “It is now time that we as people and as a nation must raise critical questions about certain practices of our cultural heritages. The truth is that men often resort to culture so as to advance their interests, interests that place women on the disadvantaged sides,” he said.

The official flag-off of the campaign which will take place today at the Holy Trinity Basilica, Onitsha with the celebration of Eucharist and the presentation of the Lenten Campaign Guild to the Nigerian public has reflective themes for the seven weeks that lent would be observed.

The Lenten Ambassadorial Flags will be handed over to the national president of Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) and her nine provincial presidents, who are expected to lead and encourage the faithful to participate actively in the activities in the church during the Lenten period.