International Women’s Day celebration highlights gender equality, woman empowerment

Chiomo LN Uzo-Udegbunam Ph.D, founder of Sure Smiles Women and Children Advocacy Initiative a Nigerian-based NGO, in her first visit to Queens, partnered with non-profit Culture of Blessings, on March 18, to mark International Women’s Day, at Twisted ‘N’ Brushes art gallery, on Rockaway Boulevard.

Themed; Together We Inspire Inclusion, the organization presented the 8th Sheroes Award Certificate, the Matron/Advisor, and Ambassador Medals to humanitarians for their immense contribution to society.

Dr. Ezinne C. Kalu, founder of Nigerian-based ECOK International and Advocacy Organization who was also welcomed to the event, presented Certificates of Recognition for Accelerating Action on Gender Equality & Women Empowerment.

Recipients included, Bibi Alli, Patsy Mitchell, Michelle Babb, Toshoy Phipps, Sherry Williams, Aura de Alli, Tangerine Clarke, Pat Terry Lee, Amisha Ghandi, and Doris Rodney, among others.

Men were also honored for their support of women. They are, Anthony Springer, Japnett Singh, Gladwin Gills, Terrence Brummell, Patrick Phipps, Dr. Raphael Eluemuno Ajalie, and others.

Dr. Uzo-Udegbunam whose organization, for the past 13 years has been fighting for gender equality, called for fairness, and equal rights for women who have been called ‘loose’ in her country because of political aspirations.

Nigerian NGO founders, Dr. Ezinne C. Kalu, Chiomo LN Uzo-Udegbunam Ph.D, and founder of non-profit Culture of Blessings, Bibi Alli, during an International Women’s Day awards presentation at Twisted N Brushes art gallery, in Ozone Park Queens, on March 18. Photo by Tangerine Clarke

The humanitarian who delivered a powerful speech on the sidelines of the United Nations International Women’s Day Conference, encouraged women to support each other in their quest for greatness.

She shares her message across borders, demanding an end to violence against women, genital mutilation, and abuse of the girl child, adding that girls must be empowered through education, and women given an opportunity to be heard in politics.

“We want to remove the stigma that women, are not as good as men, and they are ‘loose’, because they want, to be in legislation. We want to encourage women to come out and vie for positions, and women should be their biggest supporter.

“We stand for equality through the United Nations, internationally, and nationally. We have been pushing for women who are doing any little thing in their community. I have been to Liberia, Uganda, I am moving around and collaborating with organizations. “Continue doing what you are doing to help your community, feeding the vulnerable, and indigent people,” said Dr. Uzo-Udegbunam whose organization is a member of Africana Women Working Group at the UN.

She said her aim is also to recognize people who have done well to help other people, both men and women. I am impressed, and happy to be here. Thanks for inviting me, she said, and added, keep your flag flying.”

She pledges to keep working with urban groups as part of her NGO goal, dedicated to enhancing and improving lives of women and the girl child in communities and to step up action for gender solutions from her headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria that has capacity for national and global reach.

Alli, who welcomed the gathering, spoke of her struggles, growing up in Guyana in a family with eight children, while facing adversity. This inspired her to launch Cultural of Blessings, a non-profit, that encourage farming, in Venezuela, Guyana, and African villages, goals reached after she pledge to end poverty in others after working as a child vendor to support her household.

The humanitarian, who has lived in Ozone Park for thirty-years, while running her business as a hairstylist, and single parent, yet dedicated to community service, and her mantra of “spread love’, added that it’s a joy to share to the less fortunate. She thanked her Nigerian counterparts for visiting and giving support to her community.

“It a new road for future generations, thank you my friends from a foreign country, Nigeria,” said Alli.

Five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are the pillars of strength for ECOK International and Advocacy Organization, said founder Dr. Ezinne C. Kalu, a doctor of internal medicine, and Australia citizen of Nigerian parentage, who works diligently across borders to empower women.

“It’s passionate to my heart,” said the humanitarian who is committed to the goals, Good Health, Reduced Inequality, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, to impact women, across the globe.  Dr. Kalu is a member of the Royal College of Physicians.

She said there are two arms of the organization, humanitarian, and advocacy, to address gender equality cases, and to reduce inequalities, violence against women and the girl child. “Women are very vulnerable; we are at the lower end. Women are three times more likely to work in unpaid domestic and care work as men. Women does it out of love and care, but often they are stretched to their limits. There is inequality in the number of hours we spend without being paid.”

She called for an end to sexual violence and exploitation, unequal division, and the end to all discrimination in public office, in the medical profession, and in political appointments. She says they are huge barriers for women.

Statistics according to the United Nations shows that it takes an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, while it takes 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliament, barriers, “my organization continues to advocate to end.

“This is something we cannot stop talking about and cannot stop advocating for,” she said, and hopes for a hunger free, gender inequality free world.

“It takes each one of us, whether in the rural villages of Nigeria, in the big cities of Abuja, to Paris or in the suburban area of Queens, we are excited to get involved and excited to back you up, we recognize your work said,” Dr. Kalu, a member of the Royal College of Physicians.

Terrence Brummell blessed the International Women’s Day event, which was also attended by Dr. Linda Felix-Johnson, president of Women’s Mission International, and empowered by inspiring speeches.

Award recipients were also presented with gift bags from the organizations.