Ndidi Anike Val-Okeoma, Esq is a Human and Gender Rights Advocate, a Business Attorney, Family Law Expert, a Politician, a successful legal practitioner with an active legal practice spanning almost 20 years.
She is the Managing Partner & Head of Practice at ‘DIDI ANIKE & PARTNERS, a frontline Law Firm in Owerri, Imo State. Ndidi is a Social Crusader and a Woman Advocate who has been on the frontline for the passage of several legislations to promote the rights of Women and Children.
She was the pioneer Chairman of the Young Lawyers’ Forum, Imo State and has served as the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch. She is currently the Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA NIGERIA), Imo State Branch, an international organization that promotes the rights of Women and Children. Ndidi is also a Gospel Music Minister and public speaker and has spoken in so many conferences across the country.
She is the only female Governorship Aspirant of the Labour Party during the last Imo gubernatorial election.
In an interactive section with Woman Mata column of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, the Woman Advocate and reputable legal luminary dwelt on sundry issues ranging from gender advocacy, women inclusion in governance, and lots more.
Excerpts:
Question: Why are you a gender advocate?
I am a gender advocate because of my commitment to social justice and a desire to address inequalities. My aim is to also raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society.
Question: Do you feel women are marginalized?
I don’t “feel”, I KNOW that women are marginalized. The indices are there for all to see.
Question:
You obviously had good agenda for Imo State, going by your manifesto during the Imo electioneering campaigns, do you see the possibility of making a change in Imo even without being in power?
Yes, I do. I don’t have to be a Governor before I can touch lives. Impact is about giving value and not a function of Office or position only. As a gender advocate and given my experiences in Frontline advocacy and gender mainstreaming, I can confidently say that we are contributing our quota in this regard.
Question: With zero female representation at the 10th Assembly, what do you think should be done to achieve gender inclusion in governance?
It’s really quite simple: enforce the existing policies on gender inclusion.
Question:
As a family woman, do you think family responsibilities can become obstacles to women’s active political participation?
The truth is that Women have the ability to multitask. However, the success of this largely depends on the level of support we get from the Family and even the society. This is why we are advocates of Equity because in deploying a woman to thrive in a task, you must also take into consideration her peculiarities as a Woman.
Question: You are an accomplished lawyer, what propelled you to veer into partisan Politics?
As a Lawyer, I am a Social Engineer. This means that I use my knowledge of the Law to proffer solutions to my community and this was part of my driving force behind my ambition. Again, I got tired of the status quo. I was desirous of making us understand that Governance isn’t rocket science but simply all about workable systems and structures.
Question : You are among the few women who dared to contest for the Imo governorship position, what motivated you to challenge the men?
Firstly, I didn’t challenge the Men. I challenged the status quo of non-inclusion. I recognized that I was first a human before a woman and flowing from experience, I was thus equipped to run for Office and offered myself to serve in that regard.
Question: What advice do you have for young girls with good dreams, visions and passions but no money to pursue them?
Vision begets clarity and clarity comes with time and experience. For everyone who has a dream, hold on to it and then start building capacity and forming lasting networks that will bring you closer to your dreams. You don’t need money to pursue your dreams; you need people. That is all the capital you need.
