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By Paul Williams
In a bid to deepen awareness of gender and social inclusion issues among students in Rivers State, non-governmental organisation, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, on Thursday December 14, organised a debate competition for secondary schools in the state.
The event, tagged ‘2023 Secondary Schools Debate,’ with the theme: ‘Promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion,’ and organised with support from MacArthur Foundation and Women Rights Advancement and Protection Initiative (WRAPA), saw public school, Government Girls Secondary School, Orominike triumph over others to clinch the trophy.
GGSS Orominike emerged the overall winners with 24.8 pts at the finals which held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, while the Light Bearer Group of Schools came second with 18.3 pts and Meekfield Academy, clinching the third place.
Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, Obonganwan (Dr.) Emem Okon, said the schools’ debate was organised to promote increased awareness and social inclusion.
“It is part of activities we have been implementing since 2018. Our objective is to localise the National Gender Policy, using the National Gender Policy as a tool to promote awareness on social inclusion, increased women participation, increased participation of the vulnerable populations, in governance processes and development processes.”
Dr. Okon noted that the norm is to ‘catch them young,’ adding that the programme “is trying to integrate this into the activities of our educational institutions. So that the young persons would begin to understand what social inclusion is, and the reason why they as individuals and as schools should participate in governance.
“I am so impressed with what I heard coming from the students. They spoke so eloquently, promoting women participation in decision making,” she said.
Highlighting the fact that the overall debate result favoured the need for gender equality in decision making, Dr Okon pointed out that “it was also very difficult opposing women participation in decision making.
“It is not as if those who could not prove the point are not good. But that it has been accepted that women should participate in decision making. We cannot justify the exclusion of women from decision making,” she said.
Dr. Emmanuel Kaldick Jamabo, zonal coordinator (PHALGA), Rivers State Ministry of Education, who was present at the event, praised the organisers and participants at the event. He said, “Today, I witnessed a very fantastic expression of talent, of intelligence and hard from the students. I encourage them to do more so that their voices can be heard in very larger platforms.”
Dr Jamabo urged the students to take advantage of the platform and opportunity offered them by Kebetkache in deepening their awareness of gender and inclusion issues and in developing and sharpening their public speaking abilities.
He however expressed joy that a school in PHALGA zone, where he is the zonal education coordinator, won the overall trophy, while adding that “this shows that public schools are also doing well and that things can come from public schools.”
Teacher at GGSS Orominike, who chaperoned the winning team, Mr. Patrick Igoni, commended Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center for organising the event, adding that “through this they are encouraging public speech making and debate among students.” He urged the NGO to “keep up the good work, reach out to other areas, not just debate.”
Finals of the debate had the GGSS Orominike team (made up of Sylvester Favour, Harry Ibiso and Ogar Esther) compete against the team from Light Bearer Group of Schools (Modesta C. Romanus, Nmesomachi Ruth and Stephanie Agwasim). Speaking on behalf of her mates, Miss Sylvester Favour thanked Kebtkache for giving them the opportunity to learn and sharpen their public speaking abilities, as well as learn about gender equality and social inclusion.
