Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, Executive Director of the Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI), on Wednesday disclosed that his organisation is working towards building a society where men and women enjoy equal opportunities.
Egedegbe, who also coordinates the Male Feminist Network in the South-South region, said the group has been canvassing for gender equality across communities.
He spoke after a fact-finding mission to assess the success of a recent town hall meeting organised by VREI, the Male Feminist Network, and the African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), with support from the Ford Foundation, for residents of Bayelsa State and police officers.
The executive director expressed optimism that within the next five to ten years, more men would embrace gender equality, noting that he allows his wife full freedom to express herself and contribute meaningfully at home.
He said he looks forward to a Nigerian society where cultural and social patriarchy will no longer dominate.
Egedegbe called on relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts toward gender equality to make society better.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that in the next five, six, or ten years, we will see a world filled with gender equality. There will be no more discrimination or patriarchal norms that segregate women; there will be equality driven by equity.
When there is imbalance, those with strength can support others to achieve balance. That is the equality we are advocating.
We have identified critical stakeholders such as the Church, traditional rulers, and government institutions that enforce laws on these issues.
In our next community engagement, we will reach out to these gatekeepers, custodians of cultural traditions that have stereotyped women negatively to help them understand that equality does not diminish manhood or disrespect men.
I have been married for 33 years, and my wife is my best friend. I allow her to do whatever she feels she can do because she is a human being like I am. The things I can do, I do; the ones she can do, she does. There is no segregation.
We are saying no to segregation, no to patriarchal norms, and no to gender-based violence. Anything that reduces the dignity of the human person, whether woman or man we stand against it. If we adopt this as common ground, society will be better for it,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Victoria Oseyande Udoh of Centre LSD, in charge of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), said her engagements in Delta and Bayelsa states revealed a noticeable shift in public perception.
She noted that the emergence of the Male Feminist Network has changed many people’s views, with men now realising that gender-based violence is not solely a women’s issue.
According to her, some stakeholders, including security officials, now actively support women’s rights and responsibilities, encouraging female officers to take on assignments traditionally dominated by men. She added that increased male advocacy has also led to more reporting of gender-based violence, including cases affecting men who previously felt unable to speak out.
Udoh expressed optimism that sustained advocacy would lead to greater inclusion of women in leadership and decision-making positions, while also grooming boys to become better mentors and allies for gender equality.
The team’s fact-finding mission included visits to St. Jude’s Secondary School Amarata, the Zone 16 Zonal Police Command, where they interfaced with DCO Usman Magaji, and the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Forum office.
