By Kennedy Eberechi.
Queen Mimidoo Williams Uhundu; the current holder of Face of Middle-Belt Nigeria has continued to implement her pledge of advancing advocac campaigns geared towards protecting and preserving the dignity of the Girl-Child through pro-activeness in initiating and partnering on a number of women’s and Girl-Child reproductive projects.
In the past few months since winning the Face of Middle-Belt Pageant, Queen Mimi has laid emphasis on various focal areas which include discriminations, exploitations, inequalities and violence in all forms.
Very assiduous, focused an result-oriented, her personal mission is to work towards widespread and availability of means, resources and opportunities for the curbing, redressing and eventual elimination of gender-based inequality in all forms.
As a testament of her will and commitment, the 22-year-old incorporated the Spring of Hope for the Girl-Child Initiative Foundation; an NGO whose vision is to create an enabling environment where the rights of women and other vulnerable groups are guaranteed.
Under this platform, the Benue-born beauty queen has carried out several advocacy campaigns and outreach programmes to ameliorate the plight of women and the venerable, while developing consciousness of their dignity, especially the Girl-Child.
Worthy of mention are the International Women’s day Celebration with Internally Displaced Persons at Daudu Camp Benue and Sensitization on Menstrual Hygiene, to stress the need for proper hygiene and also highlight the consequences of poor menstrual hygiene.
Beyond this, during a recent exclusive media parley, Queen Mimi expressed her desire to explore the use of the media of mass communication as instruments of social mobilization and enlightenment to continue to call on government and stakeholders to take proactive steps in tackling the persistent barriers against gender quality and recognize the enormous potentials of women as the society is driven by their existence.
On-the-one-hand, Miss Williams who has been upbeat at discovering and encouraging talented female youths in Nigeria and beyond to participate effectively in championing gender empowerment campaigns in Nigeria underscored that girls are disappointed with the stewardship of our planet, the unabated violence directed against them and the slow pace of change in fulcrum issues like education.
Asserting that policies are needed that will promote equality in childcare responsibilities and provide State support to families, and those who work in the informal economy, the multi-awards winning Fashion and Pageant Model believes as cause for hope, growing support in tackling gender-bias barriers; a ‘driving will’ for an equal world for everyone regardless of class or gender across generations and countries, while adding that the last 25 years “have shown us what is needed to accelerate action for equality.
“We don’t have an equal world at the moment and women and girls are angry and concerned about the future. They are radically impatient for change. It’s an impatience that runs deep, and it has been brewing for years”, the beauty queen noted.
Again, in the course of the chat, Queen Mimi clearly expressed that The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which has been described as the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work.
The Queen further explained: “In nearly 25 years, we have seen more girls move from dreaming to achieving. More girls today are attending and completing school, fewer are getting married or becoming mothers while still children, and more are gaining the skills they need to excel in the future world of work.
She informed that girls are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalized communities. “As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations. There is need therefore to create an enabling environment and opportunities for the socio-economic empowerment of women”, Queen Uhundu added.
Another area of concern for Queen Mimidoo Williams Uhindu is the fact that despite these inherent attributes, women empowerment is still a burning issue in the polity. According to her, this is in recognition of the vast number of women with little or no education and skills to enable them support their livelihoods or to become active in the mainstream economy of the country.
For her; “when you invest in a girl’s education, there are vast social and economic benefits. Girls who are educated are less likely to become victims of violence and they are also less likely to become child brides and child mothers. Educated girls contribute to their country’s economic growth. The impacts are multi-generational, too. Women typically reinvest 90% or more of their income into their families”.
No doubt, the progress since the Beijing Declaration is remarkable, but Mimidoo still believes that girls around the world – especially those living in rural areas or humanitarian settings and those with disabilities – still need us to stand with them to achieve their full potential.
About Queen Mimidoo Williams Uhundu
Miss Mimidoo Williams Uhundu; the current holder of Face of Middle-Belt, Nigeria is a perfect example of a youth persona, who has broken free from imposed and self-imposed blockades that usually dragged behind, most individual youths from achieving their dreams.
From a modest background, Queen Mimidoo Williams Uhundu, hails from Benue State, Nigeria. She undertook her secondary education in Makurdi, after which she proceeded to Benue State University where she has in view a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English.
Prior to becoming the Face of Middle Belt, Nigeria, Queen Mimidoo has won several beauty pageants and has graced different runways. she was Miss Food Basket Heritage, Benue 2018, Miss Becky Arena 2014, and Miss Panel 2012.
Since becoming the Face of Middle Belt, she has been upbeat and visibly active at efforts to bring together partners and stakeholders to mark progress on the rights of the Girl-Child, and to equip girls with the power, knowledge and space to continue to voice their passions and concerns.
A hardworking, innovative and strong team player, amongst the issues that fire up her zeal and passion are education, equality, child marriage, access to services regarding puberty and sexual health and addressing issues around gender-based violence.
By and large, her Foundation; Spring of Hope for the Girl-Child Initiative Foundation is focusing on issues facing women across generations, with young women and girls at the center.
- Kennedy Eberechi is a publicist, and heads Ken-Gbados Concepts Limited; +2347064715591, gbadoka@yahoo.com
Amazing.
Wonderful, you always impress me.
This is very encouraging. The programme she has set for herself is Nobel and deserves huge encouragement. She has proved to be a good example of hard work and perseverance to achieve her set dreams. Keep up the struggle to entrench the right of the girl child especially that she has remained peripheral in the African family set up.
She was full of enthusiasm for what she wants to achieve during the course of our media parley
This Is really encouraging, am proud of you
Superb, keep it up, am proud of you