After this event, The First Lady of Nigeria Ms Dame Patience Jonathan has received the saharawi women´s delegation led by Minister Hamdi who reaffirmed solidarity with the struggle of Saharawi women for freedom and independence, praising, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the remarkable and effective presence of Saharawi women in the various feminist events organized by Nigeria in the recent years.
During a reception on honor of the Saharawi delegation that attended the Second High Level Meeting of GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, Mrs. Jonathan expressed her desire to further diversify, develop and deepen the relations of partnership between Nigerian and Saharawi women to serve the interests of both sides, as to reflect the aspiration of the African woman to play her full role in pushing forward the wheel of development, democracy and human rights in the continent. She, in this regard, stressed the need to maintain constant communication between women from different parts of the continent to exchange their experience and to identify the common objectives consultatively.
From her part, Head of the Saharawi Delegation and Minister of Culture Ms Khadija Hamdi expressed the gratitude of Saharawi women, and through them the Saharawi people as a whole, to Nigeria's people and government, for their principle of support to the Saharawi people. She, in particular, praised the personal sympathy and solidarity shown by Nigeria’s First Lady with the Saharawi woman in particular and the African one in general.
The Saharawi delegation has been in Abuja since June 27, after taking part at the Second High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, which had convened in Abuja. The delegation includes Ms Fatma Al-Maehdi, the Secretary General of the Saharawi Women Union, Ms Sukeina Larabas, as an Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, Mr Abbi Bachraya Bachir, the SADR Ambassador in Nigeria, and Mr Wadad Mustapha, who is in charge of a mission in the SADR embassy in Abuja.
The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic's Minister of Culture, Ms Khadija Ha
mdi has also highlighted from Abuja the leading role played by Africa in supporting the struggle of Saharawi people, in a speech delivered last Friday on the occasion of the High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, in the Nigerian capital.
mdi has also highlighted from Abuja the leading role played by Africa in supporting the struggle of Saharawi people, in a speech delivered last Friday on the occasion of the High Level Meeting of the GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, in the Nigerian capital.
Ms Khadija Hamdi talked about the flagrant violations of human rights being committed by the Moroccan state against Saharawi women in the occupied territory of Western Sahara. “The completion of Africa’s sovereignty requires awareness from African women to the suffering of Saharawi women and to the importance of showing solidarity with them to achieve self-determination and national independence,” said the Minister.
Recalling the situation of women in Africa, the Saharawi official indicated that the vestiges of colonialism and apartheid remain the umbrella under which all diseases nest, including AIDS, ignorance, backwardness and violence, amongst others.
This, added Ms Hamdi, requires real participation by women in decision-making positions, hence they are closest to recognize the everyday problems of the family and the community, calling for the liberation of women and youth initiatives, especially those complementary to the governments’ efforts, and to benefit from African capabilities and competencies specialized in the fields of research and the support of sustainable development programmes.
The minister, therefore, urged to intensify sensitization campaigns in all mass media and make use of social networking websites effectively, in a way that deepens Africa’s unity and integration, economically and culturally.
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