By Ovat Abeng
The wife of Anambra State, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has urged women across the state to use this year’s Annual August Meetings as a platform to confront the disturbing rise in cases of violent abuse, molestation, neglect and inhumane treatment of domestic workers, insisting that the silence surrounding such acts must end.
In her message to mark the commencement of the 2026 August Meeting, Mrs Soludo urged women to deliberately shift part of their discussions from the traditional focus on community development projects and social activities to finding practical and lasting solutions to what she described as an emerging social and moral crisis slowly eating into the fabrics societal unity and child development.
She observed that recent reports of lethal physical assault, starvation, torture and emotional abuse and other degrading treatment meted out to housemaids, many of them minors, should trouble every conscientious mother.
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According to the governor’s wife, while the August Meeting has, over the years, remained a powerful platform for advancing community development, promoting peace, strengthening families and preserving cherished religious and cultural values, it must also evolve to respond to pressing social realities, especially those within the domain of family and child raising.
She noted that no society can truly claim to uphold the sanctity of motherhood while turning a blind eye to the suffering of vulnerable children entrusted to families for guidance, protection, and care.
“The young girl who helps in your home is somebody’s daughter before she becomes your maid. She deserves dignity before duty, compassion before correction, and protection before punishment. Violence can never be a tool for raising a child or managing a household,” she said. “As mothers, we have a sacred responsibility to nurture, not to destroy; to protect, not to oppress. Every child under our roof deserves love, respect and the opportunity to grow in a safe environment.”
The Anambra first lady, therefore, encouraged women leaders, presidents-general of women’s associations, faith-based organizations and community stakeholders to include conversations on child protection, responsible caregiving, conflict resolution and the rights of domestic workers in their August Meeting deliberations, and stressed that communities should not merely condemn abuse after it occurs but should collectively build systems that encourage early intervention, reporting and support for victims.
The governor’s wife further reminded parents that children often learn by observation, warning that homes where violence is normalized risk raising another generation that sees cruelty as acceptable, and further urged women to deliberately instil empathy, patience and respect for human dignity in their homes, describing these virtues as the foundation of a peaceful and responsible society.
While wishing Anambra women fruitful and impactful August Meetings, Dr. Soludo expressed confidence that if every community resolves to protect the vulnerable, uphold family values and reject all forms of domestic violence, the annual gathering would become an even more powerful instrument for building safer homes, stronger communities and a more compassionate society.
The Annual August Meeting remains one of the most significant socio-cultural gatherings of Igbo women, providing a unique forum for collective reflection, community development, family welfare and the promotion of values that strengthen society.
