Plannet 50-50: Justice Nyesom-Wike calls for proactive measures for Nigeria to attain target

The Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, has called for proactive measures that would empower women so that they could effectively contribute their quota to helping Nigeria attain Planet 50-50 by 2030.

In a lead presentation at the ongoing United Nations 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, Justice Nyesom-Wike said: “Better policies will improve the output of the women in the coal face of work and lead to development and Stability of the Nation. Proactive measures to empower Women will help Nigeria achieve planet 50-50 in 2030.”

The Rivers State Governor’s wife said that Nigeria must change the current status quo in relation to the inclusion of women in the workforce , if it planned to make progress.

Justice Nyesom-Wike noted that the informal sector where most women played critical roles accounted for 34 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product ,GPP, saying that organizing and recognizing the informal sector would contribute immensely to economic development.

In her paper entitled: “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the changing world of work at the Coalface of Economic”, Justice Nyesom-Wike said: “Nigeria, has put in place the necessary mechanisms required for the elimination of gender discrimination so as to ensure gender parity and human dignity.

“The National Gender Policy which replaced and supersedes the previous National Policy on Women is targeted at the gender inequality problem in Nigeria. The Policy is also aligned with the relevant international, regional, and national protocols and commitments which seek to enhance women’s development, empowerment as well as gender equity and equality in Nigeria,” she said.

She pointed out that Nigeria had domesticated several international protocols and laws promoting women equality and empowerment, but pointed out that the Gender Equality Law was facing the challenge of non passage at the National Assembly.

“Nigeria, has put in place the necessary mechanisms required for the elimination of gender discrimination so as to ensure gender parity and human dignity. The National Gender Policy which replaced and supersedes the previous National Policy on Women is targeted at the gender inequality problem in Nigeria.

“The Policy is also aligned with the relevant international, regional, and national protocols and commitments which seek to enhance women’s development, empowerment as well as gender equity and equality in Nigeria,” she said.

The governor’s wife decried the non recognition of the major contributions of women in the development process, saying, “Non recognition of the women at the coal face of work increases: – Income insecurity and absence of health and social benefits which are inclusive in the formal employment framework; Neglect by the Government; Lack of funding/limited access to capital and private property rights; Lack of access to necessary skills, formal education and training commonly seen to also affect women involved in agriculture; Lack of good health care including Reproductive health care; Limited access to technology and mechanized farming; Lack of power and Poor infrastructure.”

Justice Nyesom-Wike further called for concrete steps for the attainment of gender equality, access to credit facilities for women, recognition of the informal sector and reconciliation of paid work with family/care responsibilities for both women and men.

She said: “Ending inequality and achieving gender parity is an empowerment issue. Deliberate efforts by relevant Government agencies, UN agencies and Non Governmental agencies to push for legal frame works that will protect Women in the Coal face of work is most welcome at this time of serious economic recession”