Nigerian women across the country have been advised to form a common platform to mobilize for bigger positions and for their rights irrespective of their tribal, cultural, political and religious lineage.
The Country Director ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Ene Obi, gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja at the National Women’s Dialogue and the Launching of the “Whose City Report”, an evaluation of urban safety for women in 10 countries around the world and “Freedom to Move” report, women’s experience of urban public transport in Bangladesh, Brazil and Nigeria, and how lost tax revenues can pay to improve it.
The reports were presented by the Deputy Country Director of the AAN Mrs. Tasallah Chibok.
She said the platform will be an opportunity for the next generation of women to forge an alliance and move forward for a common goal.
According to her in its report titled “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls”, UN Women states that almost two-thirds of women globally endure long-term violence with half experience violence daily while four million girls and women are trafficked globally apart from other multifaceted forms of harassment and abuses.
She said the report is an advocacy to the government to take the issues of gender into consideration in urban planning, adding that men and women experience city differently making women more vulnerable to all form of risks and dangers.
“When a woman is vulnerable it could be just herself, her baby because a woman houses the humanity. Some many people’s lives can be involved when a woman is vulnerable. These are the things we need to consider in terms of building and transportation to the city which men and women experience differently. We want the government to take this as a very important area, make it a priority and provide more services in terms of having good roads and accessible transportation to and from the city.
“In doing so sexual abuse and all forms of unnecessary exposure to danger will reduce drastically. The safety of women and young girls is our concern as this will aid development. It is very important that we put everybody on board to achieve results and bridge the gaps and the platform that supports women’s cause,” she said.
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