President Muhammadu Buhari has said women can no longer be deprived for too long as they have consistently proved that they can hold their own on all fronts and in all fields.
He said this Tuesday while extolling Nigerian women on the occasion of the 2022 International Women’s Day celebration.
The president said women were not where they should be yet in different spheres of endeavor.
He said the celebration tagged, “BreakTheBias,” with the theme, “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” was, therefore, an opportunity to reflect on the vital roles women played in society, homes, governance, the professions, and in all walks of life.
Buhari, who commended the contributions of women to the current administration as ministers, special advisers, senior special assistants, executive directors, executive secretaries, and many others, said they were pulling their weights, and making it impossible for anyone to downplay their essence.
The president, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, felicitated women and mothers around whom the tranquillity of homes and society, he said, revolved.
Senate’s rejection of Special Bill for Women a great setback – Akeredolu
Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has described the rejection of the special bill for women as a great setback.
The governor, in a statement Tuesday on the International Women’s Day celebration, said it is with a mixture of hope and despair that he identified with the women.
“Specifically, last week’s rejection of the bill by the Senate to create the required leverage for our women is unarguably a great disincentive.
“Without prejudice to the sense of judgement of the Senate, we have, as a nation, embarked on an insidious self-denying trip.
“It is a great setback because we have deprived ourselves of an ample opportunity for progress and development. The world is watching,” he said.
The governor commended the House of Representatives for its decision to revisit the bill clearly, which he said, “shows that all hope is not lost, after all.”
Lagos gov’s wife leads rally, condemns murder of BRT passenger
The wife of the Lagos State governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Tuesday led a rally of women from different walks of life against the recent rejection of gender bills by the National Assembly, demanding an immediate passage of the bills.
The rally, organised by the Purple Women Foundation in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum tagged, “One Million Women March Against Gender Discrimination,” saw the women marching from Lagos State Secretariat to the state’s House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja.
It was put together as part of activities to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day celebration.
Addressing the women, Sanwo-Olu described the rejection of the gender bills as an act of brazen discrimination against Nigerian women, while she called on the National Assembly to promptly reconsider the bills and approve them.
She said what transpired with the pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1 shows that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected.
She urged Nigerian women to remain steadfast and resolute in demanding an end to acts of bias and discrimination, assuring that victory awaited them.
Sanwo-Olu also condemned the death of Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole who went missing after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus and was later found dead; describing the development as sad, shocking, and devastating.
She assured that justice would prevail as investigations were ongoing.
Group seeks partnership with Media Trust on women empowerment
The CaRE-NGO has sought to partner with Media Trust Limited (MTL), the publishers of Daily Trust titles, and owners of Trust TV in the promotion of women empowerment in Kaduna State.
The NGO which paid an advocacy visit to the Kaduna Bureau of MTL Tuesday said the organisation strived to promote a range of sustainable development activities that would not only make communities realise their natural endowed resources/ potential but also use the same to have a decent living and a sense of human dignity.
Speaking during the visit, the executive director of the organisation, Mrs Joy Dogo, said “Our organisation has succeeded in accessing a grant from the Urgent Action Fund Africa to carry out advocacies on improving exercising women’s economic rights and empowerment.
“We intend to meet key stakeholders within the state to advocate for women’s policies and laws that apply to women’s human rights, economic justice, and incomes; economic inclusion and resilience as well as access to unpaid care, improved livelihoods and labour justice.
Mrs Dogo added that the organisation would conduct a baseline survey on economic rights and empowerment of women and also organise advocacy fora with 50 community men to advocate for the empowerment and inclusion of women in all strata of the home and society.
The Bureau Chief, Kaduna Office, Hajiya Lami Sadiq, stated that Media Trust had always been in the forefront of promoting women and it would continue to do so.
Similarly, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Mohammed Baba, has disclosed that the state government was planning to launch a third National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions in Nigeria.
She said the government was also planning to launch the movement for the advancement of gender equality to remove the social and cultural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving their full potential and to reshape society positively.
Speaking at a stakeholders consultative meeting in Kaduna titled, “Programme on Women, Peace & Security in Nigeria” organised by the United Nations (UN) women, she renewed the state government’s commitment towards promoting gender equality, peace and security for violence-free participation in electoral processes in the state in particular and Nigeria in general.
Hajiya Hafsat also said the state would design implementable activities that could enhance the overall safety and well-being of women and children about conflict and violence in the state.
Jonathan’s foundation seeks gender equality, inclusive governance
The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation has urged the authorities to prioritise issues of gender equality and inclusive governance in the country in order to build a democratic, peaceful and sustainable country.
The foundation also urged government and policymakers to work towards addressing all structural biases against women in our society.
Media officer of the foundation, Mr Wealth Ominabo, in a statement quoted Ann Iyonu, the executive director of the foundation as saying: “Gender equality is not just about women’s rights; it is about justice, fairness, inclusive and accountable governance.
“Gender equality is an important democratic right that is essential in building an inclusive society and addressing many of our challenges.
“Breaking all structural bias against women will create a safe space for women and girls to contribute more effectively towards the advancement of our society. This is the path towards securing a sustainable future for us and the upcoming generation.”
Action Aid urges N’Assembly to reconsider gender bills
Action Aid Nigeria (AAN) has called on the National Assembly to prove its commitment to gender equality by re-presenting and re-considering the five proposed gender bills in the Fifth Constitution Alteration Bills.
The Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria, Ene Obi, stated this in a message made available to Daily Trust in Lokoja yesterday on International Women’s Day.
She said the gender bills if approved, would mark a turnaround for Nigerian women in politics, and a historic win in the struggle for women’s inclusion in decision making ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Obi said the rejection of the bills by the National Assembly threatened the achievement of adequate women representation in governance.
Ebonyi raises alarm over 100% increase in Gender-Based Violence
The Ebonyi State government yesterday said Gender-Based Violence has increased from 750 recorded in May last year to 1,700 as at February in the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Deborah Okah, disclosed this during a press briefing to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day.
Okah attributed the increase to awareness and persistent reportage of cases to the GBV task force set up in the state.
She said most of the cases bordered on sexual violence, child marriage, trafficking, female genital mutilation and physical molestation.
Okah said the ministry was partnering with USAID-IHP to address some of the challenges, including strengthening the 171 primary healthcare centres and 13 general hospitals in the state for women and children.
Gender equality key to sustainable future – SEC DG
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr Lamido Yuguda, has said a sustainable future and an equal future remain beyond reach without the inclusion of women in decision making.
He said this during the celebration of International Women’s Day.
Yuguda while saying the observance of the theme was to recognise the women and girls leading the charge on climate change adaptation, honoured their leadership and contribution towards a sustainable future.
Meanwhile, in commemorating the day, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has reiterated on providing a wider business corridor for prospective women investors to access the country’s Free Trade Zones.
The Managing Director of NEPZA, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, said the authority’s investment drive to fast track the country’s industrialisation could be achieved even faster when huge clusters of women investors were encouraged to leverage the various incentives at special business enclaves.
He explained that the authority was seriously mulling the expansion of the corridor to attract women to leverage the variety of value chains in agro-allied; health; hospitality; estate; and gem stones among others.
By Muideen Olaniyi (Abuja), Tijani Labaran (Lokoja), Bola Ojuola (Akure), Christiana T. Alabi (Lagos), Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna), Bassey Willie (Yenagoa), Nabob Ogbonna (Abakaliki) & Faruk Umar (Abuja)
