Minister pledges support for UN Women gender programmes

By Matthew Eloyi

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, on Thursday, pledged that her ministry would continue to support UN Women programmes that promote gender equality.

She made the pledge at the first edition of WomenX – a meeting of seasoned speakers and thought leaders in the areas of gender equality, women’s rights and sustainable development in Abuja.

The event was organised by UN Women, with the theme: “Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Tallen, who was represented by Mr Ilyasu Zubair, the acting Director, Women Development Department, Ministry of Women Affairs, commended UN Women toward gender equality programmes.

She called for more programmes that would promote women in the society, adding that “the ministry is saddled with the responsibility of advancing women’s agenda.

In her words, “The ministry is willing to support the programme any time and hope for more of it.”

The UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Comfort Lamptey, said the first edition of the WomenX was built on the theme of the 2022 International Women’s Day: “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”.

She said that the event coincided with the priority theme for the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66).

She added that the theme is “Achieving Gender Equality and Empowerment of All Women and Girls in the Context of Climate Change, Environmental and Disaster Risk Reduction Policies and Programmes.”

Lamptey said that with the COVID-19 restrictions still in place in 2021, UN Women set the task of localising the CSW.

She added that “this brought the discourse around progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action closer to activists, experts, civil society organisations and grassroots organisations working tirelessly on the issues.

“Through WomenX, we are yet again presented with an opportunity to share experiences and solutions around issues that affect women and girls the most.

“Today, we have the privilege of listening to four phenomenal speakers on the themes “Climate Action and the Role of Rural Women; Sustainability and Women’s Businesses; Women’s Political Representation, as well as Male Allyship in the Gender Equality Movement.’’

The country representative explained that “gender inequality, coupled with climate crisis, are greatest challenges of our time.”

She said that in Nigeria as in other countries, the gender dynamics of climate change were relatively poorly understood and women were still generally lacking in climate-security policymaking and practice to date.

Lamptey added that without gender equality today, a sustainable and equal future would remain beyond reach.

According to her, drought and other extreme weather events leave women and girls more susceptible to forms of Gender-Based Violence, including child marriage and rape.

She said “climate emergency poses great risk to women’s economic stability too.

“Women and girls already earn less than their male counterparts and they also make up the majority of farmers and informal workers, their livelihoods are threatened by soaring temperatures, flash flooding and other unpredictable, extreme weather events.

“While women in Nigeria account for 41 per cent ownership of micro businesses in the country, these means of income are more susceptible to crisis.’’

She, therefore, called for urgent support for women, with sustainable resources and to ensure they took up senior levels in leadership.

She said “at the level of democratic governance, there is an urgent need to introduce and implement gender-progressive legislations.

“At the front burner of ongoing legislative processes is the ongoing Constitutional Review Process in which, among three gender bills that will soon be voted on in the House of Representatives, is the Bill on Affirmative Action.

“The bill is to increase women’s representation in democratic governance.

“The Bills will be voted on in a matter of weeks and it is imperative that they pass to ensure women’s voices, which constitute half the population, are adequately represented particularly as we look to the 2023 general elections.

“One thing is for certain, we will need strong political will to ensure these bills pass.”