Glamorous Mothers Development Initiative (GLAMODI) in collaboration with Stand with a Girl Initiative (SEGEI) has called on the government and all other stakeholders to embrace equity by taking proactive steps to promote fairness and inclusion of women, noting that they have been marginalised in almost every facet of life.
Education and Gender inclusion strategist, Mrs Irene Ugbah, made the call in Abuja in her keynote address during its annual purple ball event in commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, with the theme: “Embrace Equity: Bridging the Economic, Political and Technology Gaps for Nigerian Women.”
Ugbah said equity means giving opportunities, resources, tools and creating measures to compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages.
She stated that despite women constituting the majority of voters in Nigeria, being on the ballot papers as candidates have been a herculean task.
Citing the just concluded 2023 elections as an example, she stated that a situation where only 3 women emerged out of the 109 senators in the incoming 10th assembly is abysmal and lower than the 7 women in the outgoing 9th assembly.
On the way forward, she urged women to get the affirmative action passed into law in which political parties and government can be held accountable.
She equally urged parents and schools to encourage girls to go in for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education as having more girls in these fields will bridge the digital gap.
“Improved access to education for the girl child is the foundation for unlocking the huge potentials in women,” she stressed.
In her remarks, the Co-Convener Ms Oyinye Ede, shared the vision for SEGEI as they marked their 7th year anniversary and reiterated their commitments towards women and girls.
The event encouraged women to always support fellow women and be ready to embrace the changes that comes with technology.
