Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has said that women remain the essence of life and society, saying without them communities would weaken, the economy will suffer and families will forever be searching for a direction.

The governor, therefore, called on all stakeholders to ensure education of the girl child, as it is the most powerful weapon against oppression and relegation.

Alia made this declaration on Saturday on the occasion of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration in Makurdi.

He noted the key roles played by Benue women in the areas of farming, trade, lawmaking, teaching, policymaking, as physicians and nurses among others and admonished the male folks never to look down on the women.

“Here in Benue, our women are not just mothers in the genuine sense of the world; they are farmers, traders, lawmakers, teachers, specialists, and policymakers.

“Without their contributions, our economy would stall, our communities would weaken, and our families would forever be searching for a direction.”

He described this year’s theme of the celebration, which is “Accelerate Action”, as timely, urging all stakeholders to speed up actions aimed at achieving gender equality, addressing the slow pace of progress among women, thereby empowering them and the girl child.

“Despite their invaluable role, very many women still struggle in the regressive waters of inequality.

“Some are denied education, they force others into early marriage, and overly many still bear the weight of harmful cultural practices. We must therefore speed up action to change this narrative.”

The Governor described his administration as one that is favourable to the women considering the number of women appointees who are not just participants but decision-makers in governance.

According to the governor, priority has been handed out to empowerment programmes for the women in the 2025 budget of the state, revealing that grants and soft loans will be offered to the women through their cooperative groups, to kick-start trade, agriculture, petty-businesses and several other ventures capable of improving their per person income and self-reliance.

He called on all to raise their voices for the women who cannot speak and to help push aside barriers that hold women down, and emphasized on the need to invest in the education, empowerment and uplifting of women.

Alia, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula, insisted that every child, regardless of gender or background, should have access to quality education.

“This is not just a moral duty; it is an investment in a brighter and more prosperous future”, he maintained.