Globally, women continue to suffer from gender inequality including child and forced marriages, gender-based violence, sexist policies, education backwardness, employment discrimination and worse of all political exclusion at all levels. In this report Ene Oshoba examines efforts as well as challenges towards achieving gender inclusion in Nigeria.
Gender equity is widely believed a mean to fast track the achievement of development goals, drastically reduce poverty, and achieve equality. However, Nigeria seems not be committed to taking advantage of the teeming population on of women despite her being signatory to different charters and conventions that protect the right of women and promotes gender equity.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap 2022 Report released earlier this week, global gender gap was 68.1 per cent and it would take 132 years to close this gap. This is, however, a marginal improvement on last year’s figure of 136 years hence some progress but still at a snail pace and unacceptably so
“Gender parity is not recovering, according to the Global Gender Gap report 2022. It will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap. As crises are compounding, women’s workforce outcomes are suffering and the risk of global gender parity backsliding further intensifies,” the report noted.
The report also noted that top three countries globally for gender parity were Iceland (90.8%), Finland (86%). and Norway (84.5%). The UK (78%) comes in at number 22 on the list of 146 countries; Rwanda (81.1%) tops the chart for sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Namibia (80.7%); and South Africa (78.2%). Rwanda is actually ranked a pretty decent 6th on the list while Namibia is 8th. Sadly, Nigeria is down the ladder on (63.9%) and is ranked 123 on the list.
Expressing disappointment at the development, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Women Radio 91.7, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, said women were not being accorded their rightful positions in governance and other leadership positions in the country.
“For 61 years, Nigeria’s leadership has consistently paid lip service to democracy. Its political class has made Nigeria backward and put Nigeria at a global disadvantage.
“Nigeria is collapsing. Nigeria is degenerating due to lack of political will by the country’s leadership,” she said.
Barriers to equality
It is a given that no country has achieved full gender equality and women across the world continue to suffer from discrimination and unequal rights and opportunities.
However, the situation is worst in countries like Nigeria where harmful patriarchal traditions, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, and lack of inclusion in governance remain the norm.
Globally, one in four girls does not attend secondary school and one in five girls is married before her 18th birthday.
Child marriage robs girls of bright future and brings a high risk of death and injury related to pregnancy and childbirth.
In most developing countries, a woman’s ability to determine the number and spacing of her children is limited or non-existent, these myriad of issues is believed will be easily tackled when women occupy leadership positions.
Poor inclusive governance
Sonaiya expressed disappointment that women have little to celebrate in the area of women representation in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government, noting that there is the feminisation of poverty in Nigeria.
She said, “Amongst other not so impressive statistics in the last four years, you nominated only six women out of 36 ministerial positions. This represents a paltry 16 per cent as against the 31 per cent of women representation in the administration before you.
“Worthy of note, are the millions of women across ethnic, religious and even class divide that voted for you in 2015 and have done same again. In 2015, 3,667,076 housewives voted in the presidential election, placing next to students (4,480,708) and civil servants (4,628,433).
“Similarly, housewives rank third on the list of registered voters by group in the 2019 election; that fraction out of women’s vote represent 14.10 per cent of the total registered voters by group, next to farmers/fishers (16.23%) and students (26.57%).
“This figure does not include the millions of women across the various other groups who make up the total votes from women.”
Presenting a paper titled: Taking the Lead in Women’s Voice and Leadership, during the NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, River state, the founder of the first ever women radio in Nigeria, noted that, “The political class has made Nigeria backward and put Nigeria at a global disadvantage.
“Nigeria is collapsing. Nigeria is degenerating due to lack of political will by party leadership,” she lamented.
Speaking directly to the ruling All Progressive Party (APC), the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the leadership of other political parties, she maintained that: “If truly, each of you have Nigeria’s interest at heart, you will ensure a true democracy where Nigerians are not oppressed by a few but governed by majority of its people.”
According to her, “Investment in women and girls and the acceptance of female leadership is a necessity for national growth and not a favour as it is misconstrued to be.
“The benefits to invest in women will be in ripples. When you appoint a 50/50 representation across board as ministers, commissioners, chair and members of MDAs, there will be balance in power which in turn will produce a progressive community.
“Your political will can produce Nigeria’s 1st female Senate President, its 1st Speaker and 1st vice president.
“At the state level, AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman of Kwara state made history when he appointed more women in his cabinet.
“Governor Obaseki appointed a 50/50 cabinet. What AbdulRahman and Obaseki did was to define true democracy ensuring Edo and Kwara states are governed by majority of Edo and Kwara people. That is a smart thing to do. A good step in the right direction, AbdulRahman and Obaseki must be commended.”
The CEO noted further that in Sokoto state, women were elected as members of executive at party level from ward to state, adding that the elected women attended the PDP convention as delegates, describing the development “the effect and outcome of political will.”
According to her, “We must commend Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his zeal, for the political will and for his commitment to inclusion and gender fairness. “Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike, also ensured that for every male chairman at the local government level, the deputy was female same as Gov Bello of Kogi state.
“These men must be acknowledged for their commitment to development and progress of their communities. Other governors can do same and we will all reap the benefits and dividends of democracy.”
Case for constitution review
Sonaiya noted that the major obstacle to women’s growth was the 1999 Constitution, adding that the constitution was not gender- friendly.
“The 2021 reviewed Abiodun Olujimi GEOBill is due for a 2nd reading. The bill sponsored by Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for additional 111 seats for Women should be passed. Senator Omo Agege has pushed for 40 per cent state appointments for women and 30 per cent federal level appointments for women.
“These bills, if passed, will get more women on the decision making tables and who benefits? Every man, every woman and every child. We will have a balanced, developed and prosperous Nigeria,” she declared.
This is as women and women groups have continued to express disappointment over the decision by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on behalf of President Muhammad Buhari, to appeal against the decision in favour of the women in the litigation process on Affirmative Action.
For the, Nigeria as acclaimed giant of Africa should rather take the lead on Affirmative Action for women instead of rubbishing progress made on women inclusion so far.
