The United Nations (UN) Women has said that the world would be a better place with women holding key leadership positions, even as the group insists that countries led by women are doing better and more prosperous.
The global organisation, while noting that the impact of Covid-19 pandemic was minimal in countries headed by women, lauded Kaduna state, which has the only female deputy governor in North-west Nigeria, as one of the most gender sensitive states.
UN Women’s Deputy Country Representative, Mr. Lansana Wonneh, made the remark at the launch of the Coalition and Presentation of the Collaborative Framework on Increased Women’s Leadership in Covid-19 Response and Recovery efforts in Kaduna state.
“If you look at the Intervention and prevention of the Covid-19, Kaduna has done well. If you look at countries headed by women, the impact of COVID-19 has been minimal. If we have women in leadership positions, the better we can be. The more we have women in position, the more prosperous that nation or community can be,” she said.
According to Wonneh, UN Women was committed to ensuring that women are empowered because when they are empowered, there is a multiplying effect. He stressed that there is the need to end cases of gender based violence in Nigeria, charging men to take responsibility in ending it.
She wondered why micro and small enterprises are majorly controlled by women, while the bigger ones are run by men, assuring that UN Women is committed to ending the imbalance.
She said like other pandemics, women are more affected by COVID-19 impact, citing gender based violence as one of those that affected women mostly.
Wonneh noted that as a result of the lockdown following COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of women who mainly do their businesses by road sides have lost their capital.
She called on Governor Nasir el-Rufai, whom she said has done well, to influence other governors and by extension the federal government to give women more opportunities.
