The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen has disclosed that the federal government is committed to advancing gender equality, women’s economic development, and child protection issues as a crucial component of the change agenda of the current administration.
She said this in Lagos during a 4-day stakeholder retreat organized by the ministry to optimize the delivery of its mandate.
Supported by the Development Research and Projects Centre, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other development partners, the 4-day stakeholders meeting was organized to improve cooperation, collaboration, and synergy amongst stakeholders working on women and children’s issues in Nigeria.
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While declaring the meeting open, Pauline Tallen called on the international community, donor agencies, and civil society organizations to continue to support the federal government in advancing gender equality, increasing women’s economic empowerment, and protection of the child, especially given the prevailing attacks on schools, kidnapping and spate of killings bedevilling the nation.
In a virtual address, the Minister called for harmonization and the streamlining of support by development partners so that the ministry can develop a work plan that all stakeholders can key into as a strategic vision for promoting women and children in Nigeria.
‘Let me assure you that the federal government will continue to invest in women’s emancipation, girl child education, and the protection of children as a deliberate and conscious policy to mitigate the challenges facing these groups of Nigerians, ‘ She added.
The Minister also added that the ministry is more than ever poised to change the narratives, as it vigorously pursues the entrenchment of gender equity and equality in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Adebiyi Olusesan Olufunso, revealed that the stakeholder meeting is organized to promote accountability and to develop joint programming with all donors, civil society organizations, and the private sector for the overall development of the ministry’s target group in Nigeria as well as to streamline the activities of the ministry to optimize results with minimal resources.
Representatives of the World Bank, UNICEF, UN Women, and the ActionAid also presented updates on their mandates and operations during the event attended by over 50 delegates from Ministries, MDAs, the international community, and the civil society organization at the federal palace hotel in Lagos
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