Funmi Ogundare
Female Veterinarians Association of Nigeria (FEVAN), Oyo State Chapter recently held an outreach at Abadina College, University of Ibadan, to celebrate the uniqueness of the female gender, in commemoration of this year's International Women's Day.
Female students were taken through series of seminars and workshops themed, 'Inspire Inclusion'.
The Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Olufunke Ola Davies, explained that the outreach was aimed at ensuring equity and equality for the women and ensuring that they are brought on board to be in leadership positions.
She said it also had the objective of ensuring that young girls are well-trained.
She maintained that every society that must make significant and sustained progress, must learn and practise the act of including the female gender.
"Professional attainment is never the exclusive of men. The female gender also can be veterinarians, they can do well and be in leadership positions while remaining home makers.
"Accomplished female professionals in the society should be more deliberate in the mentorship of young girls," she stated, adding that the choice of Abadina College for the exercise was to catch the girls young before they are caught by abusers and those who do not mean well for them.
She urged the girls to value and maintain their dignity from early age, as it will become a thing of pride for them later in life.
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A senior lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the university, Dr. Folusho Falade, described the outreach as an opportunity to help the younger ones so that they do not feel left out, as well as encourage them to see female achievers as role models.
Another lecturer at the faculty, Dr. Bisi Adeoye stressed the need for girls to have entrepreneurship skills like bead-making, pastry making, hairstyling, etc, that would not affect their expected performance at school, but complement it.
An associate professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Adenike Olatunji-Akioye raised concerns over sexual abuse against female students, while expressing her dissatisfaction with a situation where the society does not and is not ready to rise to the occasion on the issue.
"It is sad to explain the trauma that the girl child goes through when the people she trusts become her abusers, from physical abuse to sexual abuse," she said
She emphasised the need for the girls to always speak out as abuses thrive in secrecy. "For the many girls who do not know where to go, we are here to say there is help for you all. The culture of silence over sexual abuse needs to stop."
