MamaYe joins the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2017, and we proudly present Dr. Hannatu Ibrahim, MFR (Member of the Federal Republic), and Peace Ambassador.
Who is she?
Fondly called ‘Mama Hannatu’ by her friends and relatives, Hannatu was born 75 years ago in Balanga Local Government of Gombe State. Her father, Koloma Yarga, was the first teacher during missionary days in Waja, Balanga Local Government. She was born into a family of 3 boys and 3 girls.
By happenstance, I spoke to Mama Hannatu on her 75th birthday, which was the eve of the International Women’s Day 2017, after I met her at a workshop that MamaYe organised for government, CSO and NGO participants on using advocacy to improve maternal and newborn health.
What does she do?
Mama Hannatu is a civil society and social development worker, with a quest to empowering women to able to participate in policymaking decisions as well as having self-esteem in a male-dominated governance and political arena.
What does 'be bold for change' mean to her?
The theme of this year’s IWD, ‘be bold for change’, to Hannatu, means that one should be determined in life in order to bring a change not only for oneself but also for others. By this, women can participate in the development process of building and decision-making, peace making and security.
Hannatu said:
An environment that is not conducive cannot be meaningful for development. Women are homemakers; they should be key in the process.
A time she had to be bold for change
Hannatu has experienced situations when, as a woman, the only thing she could do to achieve her goal was to be bold. One of such situations was when she was appointed as the first female Commissioner in the then Bauchi State in 1979. She said
I was the only female among 13 men, therefore, I had to be bold and do my work conscientiously and lay a role model value for others to ensure that more women were engaged in decision making.
She held the position till 1983. Another occasion when Hannatu had to be bold was when she became the first female appointed President of Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria in 1994, a position she held for 6 years in 2 terms.
She was also the first Nigerian (female) elected President of International Planned Parenthood Federation, African Region and member of the World Governing Council in 1996.
The resistance she faced
While she held those positions, part of her job was the challenging task of promoting family planning in northern Nigeria.
Hannatu said
I had to take a bold step to propagate family planning in the northern part of Nigeria amidst opposition and resentment. We were accused of promoting promiscuity in the northern part, not realising that what we were doing was to promote the health of our women rather than promiscuity.
The challenges to being 'bold for change' that she faced
With all her achievements, Hannatu recalled that male chauvinism is her major challenge in her quest to be bold for change. She regretted that men were not allowing women to participate in decision-making processes.
The bold actions she would like other people to take to see a more inclusive, gender equal world
As the world celebrates women, Mama Hannatu wants people to take bold actions that would lead to a more inclusive, gender equal world by being willing to support women because
we are all created by God and women are mothers, sisters and wives who should be encouraged in participatory processes to lift our country and keep us as one, indivisible entity
she said. She also encourages Nigerians to forget past differences, learn to love, tolerate and try to make peace starting with self, home and the society and then the world at large.
While she gave up her birthday celebration with her grand children in Abuja to honour a workshop on maternal and newborn health in Bauchi, she got a surprise birthday cake in return for her honour from MamaYe, and a melodramatic session of birthday songs and good wishes from the participants.
She expressed her joy that even though she was not with her family, the participants have well represented her children, grand children and family.