By Palma Ileye
Ahead of the 2023 General Elections, the United States has tasked Nigerian politicians vying for elective positions to prioritise policies and legislations that would empower women and girls.
Speaking yesterday during the Gender and Inclusion Summit with the theme: “Connecting the Dots for a Gender Inclusive Society,” organised by the Policy Innovation Centre, in Abuja, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Mary Beth Leonard pointed out that Gender rights were basic human rights and everyone was entitled to them noting that, “so we must really safeguard progress and make sure we don’t backslide. The UK has three areas focusing on Gender, we call them the three ‘Es’ which includes, educating girls, empowering women and ending violence against women and girls.”
According to her, 2023 elections presents a critical opportunity for Nigeria to include more women in leadership positions that would prove effective in blooming the economy.
Leonard said, “Women’s participation politically is essential to the challenge of gender inclusion. As Africa’s largest democracy, Nigeria sets the tone for the rest of the continent. Nigeria women’s full participation in the public light is fundamental to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, yet women and girls often face high barriers in electoral politics, governance and peace building.
“Nigeria’s representation of women in state and federal government accounts only for four percent in elective offices and 16 percent in appointive positions. Women do not only lack a platform but their viewpoints are excluded from the decision-making process.
“This campaign season presents an opportunity to demand candidates prioritise policies and legislations for women and girls. During the elections, we would be working with local NGOs in specifically reducing violence against women in politics and during elections.”
She further noted that the 2023 elections was an opportunity for Nigerians to hold political candidates accountable for their actions and inactions.
“The upcoming 2023 elections presents a critical opportunity to include more women in leadership positions in government and we encourage women not only to vote on election day but also to consider running for office at all levels of government in the future elections.
“Election also provides opportunity for individuals not just to participate in the government processes of the country but to hold officials accountable for their actions and inactions. Challenging candidates to have issue-based campaigns is one way to hold them accountable,” the US Ambassador stated.
She restated the commitment of the US government in strengthening the capacity of women groups to advocate for laws and policies that provide better protection for women.
“United States is committed to promoting women’s empowerment, we will continue to support Nigerian women in their efforts to have great productivity, economic diversification and interim quality. We will continue to push for the enforcement of laws and policies enacted,” she added.
Speaking in the same vein, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing, said Nigeria has to deal with social norms of religion and behaviours to execute the desired gender equality progress.
Laing noted that, “There are social norms, religious norms, behavioural norms which are used frankly, as excuses for not making progress on gender equality. We must stand up and challenge these norms.
“Gender rights are basic human rights and everyone is entitled to them. So we must really safeguard progress and make sure we don’t backslide. The UK has three areas focusing on Gender, we call them the three ‘Es’ which includes, educating girls, empowering women and ending violence against women and girls.”
“We must stand up and challenge these norms. Gender rights are basic human rights and everyone is entitled to them. So we must really safeguard progress and make sure we dont backside. The UK has three areas focusing on Gender. The three Es which included, educating girls, empowering women and ending violence against women and girls.
“The UK has worked on education for decades now particularly in the north-east Nigeria where we have supported 1.4 million additional girls going to school. On the empowerment side, we recently launched a hundred million programme through the first bank of Nigeria which will direct funding specifically to women owned enterprises.
“We are also digitising Humanitarian services and cash transfers so that women can receive money directly into their bank account which gives them more empowerment. Finally on ending violence against women and girls, we are about to enter the 16 days activism.
“We have being supporting the Nigeria Are and Police training them on how to understand the different approaches to abuse and also to support it in the community.”
On her part, the Deputy Director, Policy Innovation Centre, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu said the PIC has worked to improve governments policies and programs using lessons from social and behavioural policies .
“A lot of money is invested in implementing programs that design the needs and understanding of the context,” she stated.
She explained that the PIC works in several policy areas such as financial and digital Inclusion, health, human capital, gender and social policy, accountability and transparency.
“We do a lot around strategies, programmes, regulatory and policy design. Being here is ensuring that the policy process is participatory, and then we present solutions and evaluate, get lessons to learn so that we can scale higher.
“We are here at the summit and hope to institutionalise and have an opportunity for stakeholders to come together to have real conversation about gender and advance course to improving gender equality in Nigeria,” she added.
