The Centre for Gender Youth and Child Development, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (CGYCD-MOUAU), has taken a bold step against sexual harassment, holding a workshop to promote a culture of zero tolerance.
Director, CGYCD-MOUAU during the workshop recently.
Speaking during the workshop in commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, in MOUAU recently, the Director, CGYCD, Prof. Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka, charged girls and women to challenge the negative norms and speak out to get help.
In her keynote lecture, entitled; ‘Take actions and amplify their voices: The untold stories of young women’, the Professor of Soil Science, maintained that sharing untold stories can lead to a profound sense of relief and liberation.
Registrar, MOUAU during the workshop recently.
Prof. Onwuka said that when the narrative is given, voice is transformed from burden to testimony.
She identified the effects of untold stories to include: emotional isolation, internal conflicts, anxiety, depression, self pity, low self-esteem, sickness and suicide, among others.
The erudite professor urged women and girls to build their confidence, deal with rejection/disappointment and promote themselves to stardom.
In her words: “Avoid provocative dressing. It is possible to get to your desired height without compromising or having illicit affairs with men.”
She further expressed worries that men are not suppressing women as widely speculated but women have decided to queue behind.
Declaring the workshop open, the Registrar, MOUAU, Dr Charity Nkeiru Mbanaso, reiterated the university’s zero tolerance to sexual harassment, adding that the management would continue to promote gender inclusivity and protect girls/women’s rights.
Dr. Mbanaso lauded the Director, CGYCD-MOUAU, Prof. Onwuka, for being proactive, describing the workshop as apt and timely.
In her goodwill message, the former Head of Department, Agricultural Economics, MOUAU, Prof. Judith Simoyan, enjoined girls/women not to suffer in silence but to be bold and speak up against sexual harassment.
Contributing, the Deputy Director, CGYCD-MOUAU, Dr. Ngozi Achi, implored female students of the institution to remain focused, nurture their God-given ideas to stardom, insisting that it is very difficult to victimize a resilient female student.
In their separate remarks, the Deputy Dean, Students Affairs, MOUAU, Dr. Idowu Eluwa, Deputy Director, Directorate of University Research Administration (DURA), Dr. Blessing Olua Offia and Mrs. Stella Fashola, urged the female students not to trade their bodies for honours/marks, but should believe in themselves, discard negative reports of themselves and their voices would be heard.
They advised them to shun distractions from unhealthy relationships and social media, insisting that no one can achieve pleasure and success at the same time.
Meanwhile, the Vice President, Students’ Union Government (SUG), MOUAU, Comrade Oka Hadassah Adaoma, who shared her stories at the workshop, thanked the CGYCD Director, Prof. Onwuka for the collaboration to reach out to female students in order curb sexual harassment and intimidation meted on most female students, urged the university to do more to amplify female voices on campus.
In a related development, Miss Mamkwe Joy Oluchi, an Abia-born Biochemistry graduate of the university, has unveiled an organic sanitary pads produced from banana fibres.
Mamkwe, who maintained that the eco-friendly product would save the girl child and protect the planet, also called on government at all levels to support the innovation with sophisticated modern machines to meet up their growing market demands.
Highlight of the workshop was free distribution of the eco-friendly sanitary pads to all the participants.
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