GENERAL
THE United Nations (UN) Women has called on stakeholders in the private and public sector to promote inclusiveness by ensuring that women have access to financial resources.
The Country Representative to UN Women and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong, said that only 10 per cent of women in Nigeria have access to financial resources for entrepreneurial development and access to public procurement.
She said this at the UN Women and Partners Open Day for South West held in Lagos on Thursday.
Eyong said that gender equality was central to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and the country had been lagging behind by 40 per cent.
“As long as we’re not able to accelerate gender equality we will not be able to accelerate the SDGs and that’s why we’re here to recognise the fact that we cannot do this job alone.
“We recognise the fact that we cannot stay in Abuja and do the work so we’re going to the six geopolitical zones; this is the third zone that we have been to.
“We started with South South, North West and here we are in South West,” she said.
Eyong, said that the UN Women wanted to showcase its work through the Open Day and the need for women to have access to information to enable them to take decisions that would empower them.
She noted that through the various initiatives of the UN Women, it had given second chance to thousands of women who missed out on education due to early marriage, childbirth and other factors.
“To bridge the gap, what we do is to ensure that young girls and women that were unable to get education due to early marriage or pregnancy get an opportunity to learn a trade.
“Which helps them become independent financially, this gives them an edge to take informed decision,” she said.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Egube, said that the state government had been intentional with giving women a voice and would continue to do so.
“In Lagos, we believe ladies first, supported by men. Because, I don’t see how any woman would make progress if it is strongly resisted by men.
“Neither do I see any woman that would make progress that is strongly resisted by women.
“There is nothing like being successful in a lonely place. So we must also acknowledge our male champion like our gender friendly,” he noted.
Similarly, the Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Cecelia Bolaji-Dada, said that women voices needed to be heard in all decisions affecting them.
“I want to assure you that for me, my government and my domain, we are given space, I am aware that other state can do more to ensure adequate representation in leadership roles,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that commissioners from Oyo State, Ogun, Ondo State, Ekiti and host state Lagos were present at the event.(NAN)
5th September, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Beatrice Eyong ECOWAS United Nations
