NIGERIA: FG Plans Summit For Women

With two years away from Nigeria 's 2011 General Elections, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has concluded plans to hold an all-inclusive National Women Political Summit for the country, which is expected to map out workable strategies that will ensure greater participation of women in the exercise.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, stated this during her strategic engagement with Donor Co-ordinating Group on Gender (DCGG) at the UN House in Abuja.

Suleiman, who regretted that the current political participation of women is presently very poor, berated a situation where such participation falls below 10 per cent as against the Affirmative Action mark of 30 per cent.

She stated that her Ministry established six zonal political offices for proper sensitisation and mobilisation of women into the political process but lamented that the offices have not been effective due to inadequate support and funding, adding that there was an urgent need to establish more as well as create more funding windows for their operations.

The Minister called for improved collaboration and technical support from DCGG and all other partners towards improving greater participation of women in the political process come 2011 and beyond.

She emphasised that all hands must be on deck to encourage Girl-Child education, which is key to gender mainstreaming and women empowerment even as she expressed serious concern on women in non-formal education, saying that greater commitment is needed to address these issues affecting women empowerment agenda in the country.

Suleiman associated the problems to, "non dedication of significant portion of donor aids to the country to gender equity and social security programmes and projects."

Earlier in his speech, the Representative of Resident Co-ordinator of UN System in Nigeria, Mr. Joseph N. Ngu, said the key principle inherent to Donor Co-ordinating Group on Gender (DCGG) is to support national leadership and decision making at all levels as well as commitment to consultation and transparency, respect for different opinions among others.

Ngu explained that it is on that note that the DCGG organised the dialogue with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to partner on strategies for the advancement of women and other vulnerable segment of the society.

According to him, "We are using this platform for interaction on critical emerging gender concerns in Nigeria; the aim of the dialogue is to facilitate the harmonisation of actions and co-ordination of support for promoting gender equality an women empowerment in Nigeria".

He noted that gender equality was essential for achieving poverty reduction and economic growth, reduce child and maternal mortality as well as combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
He argued that in an effort towards addressing accountability in the UN, eight (8) UN Agencies recently went through a gender audit to help us identify how it can more effectively mainstream gender in policies, programmes and structures.

In a presentation, a National Programme Analyst on Gender, Hannatu Ahmed Yaro, said even though the 2011 Elections were two years away, there was the need for the group to assess political parties and other institutions' commitment to Affirmative Action and plan toward the next elections.
"Also, considering the constitutional and electoral reforms going on in the country, there is need to develop joint activities to ensure gender mainstreamed into the Constitution and follow up on Affirmative Action," she stated.