On Monday, the Female Military Veterans Association of Nigeria (FMVAN) was inaugurated in Abuja.
The chairwoman, board of trustees of FMVAN, retired Maj.-Gen. Abimbola Amusu, said the inauguration of the new association was significant as the day was being commemorated and celebrated as veterans day.
She said the new association would promote the welfare and well-being of all retired female personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
She noted that military veterans deserved to be recognised and celebrated in Nigeria, adding that the event would encourage the corporate and social spheres to recognise the veterans.
She also noted that women had played significant roles in the military worldwide, predating the two world wars, which increased their roles considerably from the rear to the forward edge of the battle area.
According to her, many of these servicewomen were forgotten after the world wars, and there is little record of their contribution to the war effort.
Ms Amusu said, ”Some were disabled, some left and had no homes to go back to, and for some who paid the supreme price, their families only grieved silent death. They were neither rehabilitated nor given recognition. The service of women at war costs more than just the burden of putting their lives on hold.
”They have to defer marriage, they have to defer having children, or even pursuing a higher education, and the service often results in permanent physical and mental disability apart from the loss of lives. Now, in spite of their training and working alongside their male counterparts while in the service, female military women appear to retire into oblivion, and this explains why we should remember some female veterans.”
The special assistant to the president on public health, Uju Rochas-Onwukah, said the forum would provide an avenue for them to honour the women who dared to stand on the front lines, wore their uniforms with pride, and served with unwavering dedication to the nation.
Mr Rochas-Onwukah said that the women had sacrificed greatly for the ideals of peace, unity, security, and national pride, worn uniforms with valour, laid down their lives, and continued to carry the indomitable spirit of service.
She explained that establishing the association was both timely and essential when the world recognised women’s indispensable role in the security and defence platforms.
”Your association stands as a powerful reminder that female veterans are not just warriors. These remarkable women, sitting right here in this room, are united by a mission, bound by a new purpose, and driven by a relentless commitment to continue their service beyond the battlefield,” she said.
The national coordinator of FMVAN, Morenike Grace-Henry, said the idea to form the association was conceived in the U.S., where female military veterans had similar bodies.
Ms Grace-Henry said that many female military veterans were facing many challenges that required collective efforts of all veterans to alleviate their challenges.
She said that many of the female veterans were either unmarried or single mothers, saying that the military career made it difficult for them to have a home of their own or to have children of their own.
She added that the association had plans to have offices nationwide to support the members and advocate for female veterans in the country.
According to her, FMVAN is partnering with government corporate organisations and the military to achieve its objectives.
