HIGH LEVEL ADVOCACY VISIT TO ABIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

The Abia State House Of Assembly played host to the First Lady of the state, Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu a coalition of NGOs and women groups facilitated by Vicar Hope Foundation today. The main purpose was to advocate for legislations to protect the rights of women and the girl child.
This visit complements efforts and progress already being made by the First Lady in the areas of providing shelter for indigent widows, empowering them, social reorientation, raising awareness on sickle cell disease (SCD)/HIV and AIDS, amongst others for the general populace.
The visit also presented an opportunity to thank the Honourable House for its speedy passage of the Law for the Identification of Blood Group and Genotype which took place barely 24 hours ago. This law which is strategic in raising awareness, prevention and management of sickle cell disease is a big achievement both for the law makers, the First Lady, Vicar Hope foundation and the struggle. She also enumerated other bills that will protect women and the girl child but are either stalled or pending to include:
1. “A Bill for a Law to Prohibit all forms of violence against persons”
2. “A Bill for a Law to Abolish harmful and Obnoxious Widowhood Practices in Abia”
3. A Bill for a Law for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Men, Women and Special Persons in Abia State.”
She solicited for a bill against the discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS and the partnership and collaboration of the honorable house in the fight against societal menace.