Women Sales Associations (WoSAs), an NGO in Bauchi State, have urged women of reproductive age to embrace Child Birth Spacing (CBS) to achieve economic space in value chains of Rice, Soya Beans and Groundnuts.
Some WoSAs officials from Dass, Toro and Bauchi Local Government Areas of the state gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Bauchi.
Members of WoSas are women engaged in agro processing and farming of Rice, Soya Beans and groundnut in the state.
The Chairperson of the association from Toro LGA, Hajiya Yalwa Salisu, told NAN that women must take decisions as entrepreneurs by living a healthy life style. “You cannot be a farmer, grain processor or food vendor and be having children annually.
The business will cripple or you collapse due to pressure. “These are trades with high economic potentials that need you to be physically and mentally healthy.
Therefore, child spacing is healthier and important for us to have space in our markets. “Mothers should educate their girls to take decision on CBS because some men see it as a pride to be counting their children, but a woman bears the burden of nurturing and health complications of child bearing,” she said.
Mrs Hannatu Usman from Dass LGA said that the association conducted sensitisation to members to ensure that women understand rights and obligations on childbearing.
On her part, Hajiya Sadiya Isa, an official of WoSas in Bauchi LGA, said; “If time will be reversed, I will not give birth to nine children.” Narrating her ordeal, Isa said since the death of her husband, no family relative has expressed interest in supporting the orphans. “Parenting is challenging, vital information needs to spread to spouses and intended couples.
“Women should know that childbearing should be decided by spouses not the man alone, it is a right for a mother to take decision,” she said.