Women's rights and gender equality has been an issue of global importance for years now. But much has not been done in regards to the upliftment of women to top leadership positions in political governance, and in the fair distribution of leadership positions among these two genders all over the world. Women being the opposite gender to the men has been glamouring for gender equality in all spheres of life and in different field of endeavours. Women activists and women in leadership positions from all over the world have been agitating for gender equality and the rights of the women. This burning issues has been at the centre of global spotlight for years now and notable women leaders from around the world have been fighting for the total emancipation of the women by advocating for gender equality. Women's rights and gender equality has been at the front burner at the United nations summits and also at global leaders summits(G20). From time immemorial, women have been playing the second fiddle to their men counterpart in all facets and walks of life, in career, governance, social, political and economic life, women have been relegated to the background and taken the back seat for too long.
Has anything been done all these years to bridged the gap of gender inequalities between women and men in terms of social,economic and political status? Yes political leaders from all over the world have taken a step further as members of the United nations, they have signed and ratified the various relevant international instruments, treaties and conventions by United nations to put in place all the necessary mechanisms needed to eliminate gender discrimination,ensure equality and human dignity to all,men and women. Using Nigeria as a study,in the political landscape and in the current democratic dispensation of the ninth assembly, available statistics shows that out of the one hundred and nine (109) senators in the national assembly, only seven (7) are women, while only twelve (12) out of the three hundred and sixty (360) members of the house of representatives are women. Out of the four hundred and sixty nine (469) total number of lawmakers in the two chambers of the ninth national assembly in Nigeria, only nineteen (19) females lawmakers are members. There are only fourty four (44) women as members of state assemblies nationwide.
The picture clearly depicts a lopsided membership of the house in favour of the men. Women are still under-represented and obviously marginalized in democratization in legislative and executive arms of government. This trend flows from the national level, to state down to local levels where few women take the lead in local government chairman and councillor positions. Since the inception of Nigeria as an independent country in 1960 till date,the women have only produce one speaker of the house of representatives, two governors of a state after over twenty years (20) of democratic rule in Nigeria. Also in Nigeria till date,record has it that no woman has ever become president or vice president. Despite the fact that a national gender policy has been formulated in Nigeria since 2006 to promote a thirty five (35%) affirmative action (AA) for women,a policy that demands thirty five (35%) involvement of women in all governance processes. The achievement of this policy goal is still a far cry as governments both past and present are still struggling to achieve this policy goal in Nigeria.
The United nations has organized four world conferences on women. These conferences were held to converge women from all over the world to come together to brainstorm and discuss global issues bordering on women's rights,gender equality and other women related issues,and then make a workable recommendations for solutions to tackle this challenging issues confronting women globally. These conferences took place in Mexico city in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995. The last was followed by a series of five year reviews, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. The 1995 fourth world conference on women in Beijing marked a significant turning point for the global agenda for gender equality. The Beijing declaration and the platform for action,adopted unanimously by one hundred and eighty nine (189) countries, is an agenda for women's empowerment and considered the key global policy document on gender equality. It sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality in twelve (12) critical areas of concern:
* Women and poverty
* Education and training of women
* Women and health
* Violence against women
* Women and armed conflict
* Women and the economy
* Women in power and decision-making
* institutional mechanism for the advancement of women
* Human rights of women
* Women and the media
* Women and the environment
* The girl child.
In conclusion, The United nations adopted goal 5 (gender equality) as one of the seventeen (17) sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2015, all in the quest to close the gender gap, to eradicate gender inequalities and to achieve gender parity by 2030. But the coming of covid-19 pandemic has increased and widened the gender gap by one hundred (100) years. According to the world economic forum's global gender gap report (WEF 2021) it predicts that it will now take one hundred and thirty six (136) years to reach gender equality and close the global gender gap.
#GlobalGoals #SDGs #SDG5 #LeaveNoOneBehind #SDG2030 #SDGgoals #Agenda2030 #CYPLP #nigeriasdgs #ossap_sdgs #ECOWAS #AfricanUnion #UNnigeria #UKinNigeria #EUinNigeria #UN.
BRIEF PERSONAL PROFILE OF ENOBONG EKWERE - SOCIAL ACTIVIST/ DEVELOPMENT EXPERT IN NIGERIA.
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