Cost of depriving women opportunities huge, says Minister

The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, says the cost of depriving women and girls their rights and opportunities is huge, and borne not by them alone, but by all.

Tallen made the assertions at the Bank of Industry (BoI)’s International Women’s Day Celebration on Thursday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the celebration was: “Each For Equal.”

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Tallen noted that continuous delays in closing the gender gaps made achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063 to remain elusive and a mere illusion.

“Given the galloping increase in the cost of exclusion, the more we delay in bridging the gender gaps, we will continue to experience the negative aftermath.

“Therefore, investing in women and girls, and ending gender inequality would not only set us on a double-digit economic growth track, but would also significantly contribute to meeting our development goals,” she said.

Tallen, represented by Mrs Jummai Idonije, Special Assistant Technical to the Minister, said that the ministry would adopt a multi-sectoral approach involving the Ministries of Health, Education, Environment and Trade and Investment, to achieve inclusion for women.

She said that they would upscale all existing projects and programmes of partners and Mrs Aisha Buhari, to promote increase in enrollment, retention and completion rates of girls in schools.

According to her, efforts will be made to reduce harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation.

Tallen emphasised the need for a consensus that women empowerment, if well promoted, responds to women’s engagement in productive activities that engenders development and poverty reduction.

She added that the ministry’s collaboration with BoI plays a critical role that could guarantee the realisation of the goal of empowerment for women and development of the economy.

“Under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, we are changing the narratives, as we continue to advocate to bridge gender gaps across many sectors.

“This is to meet the needs of the almost 100 million female population of the country,” Tallen said.

Also, Amb. Maryam Katagum, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said that economic empowerment of women was key to achieving the objectives of financial inclusion, social cohesion and economic development.

Katagum, represented by Mrs Zahira Baba-Ali, Managing Director, Nigeria Commodity Exchange, said the theme of the event was pertinent to drive human rights, equality and development for women.

She added that the longer the country delay gender equality, the longer its growth and strive for development.

Commenting, Dr Hajo Sani, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Affairs and Administration, said that women were making great strides in reshaping the country’s socioeconomic landscape.

Sani noted that it was important for more women success stories to be told and celebrated.

She said that this would help to provide more female role models for the next generation to emulate.

In his remarks, Mr Olukayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry, said there would be no sustainable development in Africa, if women were not economically empowered.

Pitan noted that BOI believed that empowerment of women was crucial to development, poverty eradication and financial inclusion, which he said necessitated the creation of a Gender Desk in the bank to support women businesses.

According to him, through the desk, the bank has disbursed N37.9 billion to over 496 women-led enterprises by December 2019.

Pitan said that the bank has series of funding targeted at supporting women businesses at single digit interest rates.

According to him, BoI is playing a key role to support the proposed first female-owned bank in Nigeria that has a mandate to support women businesses.

Pitan stressed that there would be minimal development in Nigeria and Africa, if efforts were not made to address some of the socioeconomic impediments to limit women.

Also, Dr Ngozi Onyia, Chief Executive Officer, Paelon Memorial Clinic, said her clinic had benefited from BoI Small and Medium Enterprises loans three times.

Onyia said that the first was in 2013 to upgrade equipment and expand service delivery, another in 2018 assisted to expand into Assisted Reproduction.

She said that in 2019, under BoI Access to Finance Scheme, financial support was obtained to establish Amai Comprehensive Health Centre.

Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, Founder, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, said that financial independence of women was a necessity that was non-negotiable.

Ogunlesi said the numbers of women groaning in pains of lack has to stop, adding that women should be given a fair playing fields.

She added that women were not seeking for preferential treatment, but equal opportunity to succeed.