Tina Amanda
The International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Rivers State Chapter, has expressed concern about the high rate of failure to provide necessities for children as a result of parental separation.
In an interview with our correspondent, Adata Bio-Briggs, State Chairperson of FIDA Rivers, explained that since taking office in 2023, FIDA Rivers has received over twenty complaints of failure to provide for children.
According to her, so many women have visited the office with complaints that they want to separate from their husbands because they are unable to provide for the children.
She expressed worries that the high rate of separation between spouses mostly affects children, who are at the receiving end, while urging parents to learn to tolerate one another and try living in peace irrespective of the economic hardship.
“It is alarming the way we are having a high rate of failure to provide for children. Separation is a big issue that has really affected lots of children.
“Because these parents are not together, they allow their separation to affect their children. This should not be so. There is a lot of whining about separation, and I don’t understand how our society is changing; it’s as if there is no tolerance left.
“We are not happy with a large number of women coming to our office on a daily basis they do not want to live with their husbands anymore. It should decrease, and the way it will decrease is by learning to tolerate one another.
“Partners need to understand and listen to each other and know that the economy is hard, everybody is just trying to survive, and there is a need to step up. How would you stay with someone if you did not talk to each other?
“Most times spouses engage in verbal and emotional abuse which is another high cost of separation, they should try to reduce it because it’s an offence in the law. Partners should learn to forgive, and stay peacefully with each other.
“We should all learn to avoid things that will cause troubles in our homes and avoid all forms of violence. So that this breakdown in marriages we are having will reduce”.
Bio-Briggs, however, called for support for people living with disabilities in the state and for women to be allowed to exercise their voting rights by obtaining their permanent voter cards.
“We encourage all citizens particularly women to exercise their rights to vote by obtaining their permanent voters’ card and participating in the election process
“Let us remember that our vote is our power. Additionally, we support the rights of people living with disabilities and call for assistance to ensure that they have access to polling units and support from INEC staff and party agents to enable them to cast their vote for their preferred candidates and contribute to governance.”
“As an organization that prioritizes women and children, we urge all Rivers people to report and avoid cases of gender based violence and support victims of violence. “By 2023, we hope to have a safe and violence-free state.”
