Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has hailed mothers for their  sacrifices to society in the face of a challenging work culture that places less premium on work-life balance, promising to do more for mothers through government policies and initiatives.
Obaseki, who made the pledge in commemoration of Mother’s Day, marked in Nigeria on March 11, applauded the organisations that are drumming support for the acknowledgement of the roles of mothers in the society and calling for adequate reward for their contributions to nation building.
According to him, “On this day, it is important to celebrate mothers who have contributed so much in moulding society. They are expected to be many things at once and have held these responsibilities in these very challenging times.
“But it is also important to stress that the mothers can be given a much fairer deal by pushing for reforms in workplaces to afford mothers better opportunity to work and also take care of the other roles they play.”
He used the opportunity to celebrate mothers in Edo State, who appreciate  the wisdom in speaking out against the ugly trend of human trafficking after learning of the horrors their children pass through on the dangerous journeys abroad.
He added, “Mothers are germane to societal advancement and one cannot deny the sacrifices they have made. At the same time, we also know that they are change agents, and to a large extent wield immense influence in homes. That is why we are happy that a number of them are now speaking against the ills of human trafficking and illegal migration. We know that with their support, we will make tremendous progress.â€
He said his administration was committed to creating the enabling work and business environments for mothers to attain their heights in society.
“Our commitment to placing the issues of mothers and women on the front burner informed my recent appointment of 19 female aides on gender to mainstream women issues in governance,” Obaseki said.Â
He explained that his administration’s resolve to bring human trafficking to an end, was due partly, to the conviction that if Edo women are empowered through skills acquisition programmes and education, they will do more for themselves and the society and will not fall prey to human traffickers.Â
He added:  “It is imperative on this day to assure mothers of policies that will make it possible for them to pursue their careers and reach their full potential even as they run the home. So, this behooves on us to develop reforms, which we have started, to afford women more time and space to contribute to societal development.
