Abuja: The Federal Government and UN Women have strengthened mechanisms to enhance accountability and catalyse transformative action toward achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) for sustainable development. Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, highlighted this at the GEWE Coordination Mechanism and Institutional Strengthening Meeting in Abuja, emphasizing the need for a unified and results-driven national GEWE architecture.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting assembled representatives from UN Women, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, zonal gender coordinators, state commissioners of women affairs, civil society organisations, development partners, and the media. The minister announced the distribution of ICT equipment and working tools by UN Women to all State Ministries of Women Affairs and the FCT to support data reporting and information tracking for GEWE coordination and monitoring. She urged stakeholders to use these tools effectively and accountably.
Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Country Representative to UN Women Nigeria and ECOWAS, stated that the meeting aimed to consolidate efforts for greater coherence, accountability, and sustainability in GEWE initiatives across Nigeria. She called on government institutions, the private sector, and philanthropic organisations to invest in supporting coordination activities that can significantly enhance GEWE outcomes.
Ms Ebere Ifendu, National Chair of the Women Political Participation Group, addressed the issue of female underrepresentation in politics, noting that women constitute less than 5 per cent of Nigeria’s National Assembly. She advocated for the passage of the Special Seats Bill to foster a more inclusive society and emphasized the urgent need to address women’s underrepresentation at both the national and state assembly levels.
Dr Ojukwu Mark-Ojukwu, UN Women Consultant on GEWE Research, presented findings on gender equality and women’s empowerment in different regions. He noted that women’s representation is concentrated at lower cadres despite their numbers in the civil service and stressed the need for policies supporting women’s political participation and leadership.
Mrs Edema Irom, Acting Dean of Commissioners and Commissioner of Women Affairs for Cross River State, expressed appreciation for the initiatives by UN Women and the Federal Government. She reaffirmed the commitment of State Ministries of Women Affairs to utilize the distributed materials effectively for data collection and information tracking related to GEWE progress.