The Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Micro Finance and Small Loans Center(MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakaria has called for conscious efforts to economically empower rural women to be self-reliant.
According to her, women in rural areas contribute significantly to the growth of the family and society but they are the least empowered.
Hajia Abibata raised this concern in an interview with Citi News when she joined the women in the Yendi Municipality to celebrate this year’s mother’s day.
“When you empower women, they are able to take decisions by themselves, they take care of the home, whether the husband is there or not. So if women are empowered they are able to take care of the children’s education and the other aspects of life,” Hajia Abibata noted.
The occasion which is the first of its kind in the municipality brought together over 200 mothers from Yendi and surrounding communities.
Mothers play significant roles in the lives of children and the family as a whole.
It is common to find among rural mothers single-handedly striving to raise a home.
They go to the market, farm and come back home to cook while the fathers sit outside under pavilions and chat with their peers.
With all her toils, her hard work is barely appreciated.
As part of the celebrations over 200 mothers presented hampers with assorted items.
Some of the mothers who spoke to Citi News said, they only get to know of mothers day on Television, they have never been appreciated in any special way.
One of the mothers, Rukaya Issahaku said: “I did not know today was mother’s day if not for this occasion, and have never received any surprise on this day. I thank Hajia for this initiative”.
Another mother Amina Issah said her daughter called to wish her but she never received a gift.
“I have three children, I took care of them alone. I don’t have any support. My daughter called me today to wish me and I was happy. This hamper is the first gift I have ever received on this day. It will help me a lot.”
Hajia Abibata Shanni used the occasion to announce her ambition to contest for the Yendi constituency parliamentary primaries for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).