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I was honoured today to join Pathfinder International and She Forum Africa as a panellist for their high-level convening to deepen awareness and build momentum for gender equality in Nigeria through “Partnerships for Goals: Advancing the Gender Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Coming together on International Day of Living Together in Peace, I reflected on the importance of accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognise, respect and appreciate others while encouraging our Nation to unite in differences and diversity, particularly when it comes to Gender Equality, allowing us to further contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Nigeria is a beautiful and unique example of cultural heterogeneity, with over 250 ethnic groups, 500 languages, and many religions. Amplifying the diversity in our national identity is essential to achieve reconciliation and promote harmony. I hold these beliefs and values dearly, as exemplified daily in my life and work with my Wellbeing Foundation Africa, as our efforts towards community behaviour change, and driving a community forward, can only prevail where peace exists.
Currently, according to United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), in 2022 Nigeria has 18.5 million out-of-school children, an increase from the 10.6 million in 2015, with over 60% being female, meaning around 10 million girls are out of school today. This heightening of gender inequity in the Nigerian society is the reason why only one in four girls from poor, rural families complete junior secondary school, and why one in every four children out-of-school in the world is from Nigeria.
We have a national crisis on our hands due to the terrorist attacks on schools and education centres, gender inequality, and lack of adequate resources, negatively affecting access to education for children across the nation. Addressing the barriers that hinder the girl child’s education is extremely important, and exactly why it is essential to have conversations surrounding the topics of ‘Partnerships for Goals: Advancing the Gender Agenda for Sustainable Development’ and ‘International Day of Living Together in Peace’.
Our discussions, with representatives from the Government, CSOs, development partners, members of the diplomatic community, youth and disability organisations and various EVAWG stakeholders, including the private sector, focused on commitment to supporting, promoting, strengthening and intensifying solution-oriented advocacy around women and girls agency from a rights perspective through unity and collaboration.
By sharing the work of my foundation, and how we analyse gender policies and bills, advocate at all levels to transform the system to further promote the agency and rights of women, girls, and marginalised groups, and identify opportunities to increase the participation of women and girls in SRHR decision-making, I hope to amplify how to regularly mobilise the efforts needed from the national and international community to tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.
WBFA is wholly committed to helping Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 with a particular emphasis on SDG 5, to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. While progress has been made, no country in the world has achieved gender equality or complete harmony.
Our nation must continue on the path to uphold the desire to live and build together towards sustainable solidarity, foster compassion and understand one another. Our differences make us stronger and more dynamic; our diversity enhances our innovation, creativity and potential; our inclusivity encourages various perspectives and growth; our unity makes us Nigeria.
Let us mobilise our efforts from corner to corner, I look forward to continuing this discussion with key stakeholders across all sectors, including working with communities, faith leaders and other relevant actors, to leverage and promote the rallying role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals while supporting and educating communities on gender equality and harmony. We need to equalise the equity of opportunity from birth to age – to achieve gender parity.
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