Together with other progressive women in the Colleges of Education sub-sector, Comrade (Mrs) Justina Ochokpa, the SSUCOEN Women leader of the Federal College of Education, Obudu attended and participated in the activities of the International Women Day celebration which held at the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Abuja on March 8, 2022. The event was meant to appreciate the contributions of women generally in nation building as well as their role in the upliftment of the society.

With the above mindset, Comrade (Mrs) Ezie Esther, the National Women leader of SSUCOEN in her speech specifically noted the contributions of some women like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, current Director General of the World Trade Organisation; late Professor Dora Akunyili; former Minister of information; Comrade Mercy Okezie, Abia State Director of Youth and Women Commission; and Comrade Salamatu Aliyu who is the Chairperson of the NLC’s Women Commission just to mention a few. However, she noted the supportive and complementary roles that were always played by their male counterparts like Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwele, Executive Secretary of NCCE; Comrade Danladi Ali Msheliza, SSUCOEN National President and a host of others.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of a well-researched paper titled “Unionism and Gender Mainstreaming, Dynamics, Challenges and prospects” by Comrade (Mrs) Mercy Okezie. The paper presenter espoused the issue of gender mainstreaming as a process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned actions, including legislation, policies or programmes in all design, implementation monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres so that women and men can benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.

While representing the South-South Region during the period of evaluation, the F.C.E, Obudu Woman Leader, Comrade (Mrs) Justina Ochokpa acknowledged the richness of the paper that was presented by Mrs. Okezie and said it would make positive impact among the participants. She enjoined women in the Colleges to remain resolute and bonded to the Union at all levels. She charged both women and men to brace up to the challenges of leadership at the level of both the Union and in secular politics.

Mrs. Ochokpa asserted that the much talked about 35% affirmative action can only be achieved if the women positions themselves for leadership and get adequately prepared to contribute their quota in national development. The F.C.E, Obudu Woman leader called on relevant stakeholders to represent those bills that were meant to advance the interests of women which were previously rejected by the National Assembly. She encouraged them to persist in the struggle and continually put their hands on the plough in order to achieve their collective objective.