The United Nations (UN) has tasked the Nigerian media with committing to women‘s empowerment and gender equality, especially women in politics.
The call was made yesterday in Abuja during a media roundtable and signing of the Compact of Commitment between UN Women and media executives to amplify media intervention and provide a platform to enhance gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women‘s country representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said that globally, one in every 10 women lives in extreme poverty, and projections indicated that 342.4 million women and girls will not move out of extreme poverty by 2030 unless the current trends are shifted.
Eyong also said the figures could be higher for countries like Nigeria, where the gap between the few rich and the majority poor continues to widen, lamenting the low representation of women in Nigeria’s parliament, where critical policies and laws are made.
She noted that women account for about 4% of the country‘s parliament, while only 17% serve as ministers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
UN Women invests in enhancing women‘s personal resilience and professional development to increase their contribution to leadership, economic growth, peace, security and humanitarian nexus. UN Women believes that investing in women equals investing in the architecture of society,“ Eyong stated.
She added, „No nation can develop and prosper if women are excluded. Shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision of the government and the people of Nigeria guide our support.”
Similarly, the media consultant to UN Women, Moji Makanjuola, said: “The objective of the media roundtable is to strengthen partnership to promote women in politics for the media to develop policies advocating a purposeful, deliberate, and targeted course, which is gender-responsive laws.“
