UN Women has called for economic empowerment of women in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa, insisting that systemic inequality and other barriers standing in the path of women’s economic emancipation need to be crunched.
Speaking at Women’s Economic Empowerment Learning Week in Abuja, with the theme: “Accelerating the progress of Women’s Economic Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa amidst changing contexts,” UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong told the gathering of stakeholders from countries in West Africa, that deliberations should be on Women’s Economic Empowerment through Affirmative Procurement in Africa, the challenges identified, the key achievements highlighted by country offices, the policy environment needed to stimulate women’s access to public procurement opportunities, and the role of the private sector in transforming economies and pioneering change.
She said: “As we gather here today, we are reminded of the importance of addressing systemic inequality, opportunity inequality, and outcomes that have inhibited women’s economic empowerment. Though progress has been made, much remains to be done in accelerating progress and institutionalizing transformation to ensure women’s economic autonomy.”
Eyong said: “I am confident that through the conversations and deliberations that would ensue today, challenges would be addressed, solutions proffered, and a pathway tendered to women’s and girls’economic well-being building a society where every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to national development.”
She noted that UN Women works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities: Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems; Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy; All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence; Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action
Eyong while stating that significant progress has been made in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria, which has resulted in the development of a National Women’s economic empowerment policy, the first of its kind in Nigeria, applauding the approval of an affirmative procurement policy in Kaduna State, and the development of a private sector GBV fund.
