CSOs Task Federal Govt On Gender Equality, Justice

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have asked the federal government to mainstream gender justice and equality into governance for social inclusion.

They gave the charge at the VOICE Nigeria Gender Justice Community of Practice workshop with the theme: “Breaking Gender Bias.”

The facilitator of the Voice Community of Practice for Gender Justice in Nigeria, Mrs Rosemary Adejoh-Adagi called on the federal government to ensure gender and social inclusion at all levels of governance.

She said there should be a deliberate effort to ensure gender mainstreaming across all strata of the society, adding that the gathering of the 10 civil society organisations aim to enhance collaboration, networking and sharing among the community of gender justice and building capacity of members in terms of gender related programming as regards women and girls and issues around violence.

In her keynote address, the programme manager Justice at Oxfam Nigeria, Ms Helen Akinyemi said gender mainstreaming was a perfect step towards an inclusive society, noting that there can never be sustainable development without gender equality and justice.

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She identified lack of access to gender data in Nigeria as a barrier to gender justice and stated that inadequate knowledge or misconception of gender was another barrier to gender justice in Nigeria.

“What gender represents is not just fighting the other person like women fighting the men. No. It is about bringing an inclusive society and it is impossible for us to have sustainable development when there is gender inequality. So, it’s about the people understanding these facts and working towards it and it is not about relinquishing some certain people’s power but about helping the disadvantaged groups in the society,” she said.

In her remarks, the executive director of COGNITO, Ms Christiana Asala, called for the protection of gender rights and the balance of gender in governments and organisations.