BY JACINTA HYCENTH
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged commitment to advancing the cause of women’s empowerment and gender equality in Nigeria to address the multifaceted challenges they face.
President Tinubu made a vow at the “Empower-Her: Nigeria for Women Farming, Health, Empowerment, Justice, Education and Fundraising Program” organized by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs led by the Minister, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye on Tuesday in Abuja.
The President recognized the challenges women face with limited access to education and healthcare, genderg-based violence and economic disparity, and stressed the need for the nation to come together to drive down development and create opportunities for women to thrive and succeed.
The Empower-Her initiative, as highlighted by President Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represents a significant milestone in the nation’s journey towards a more equitable and sustainable nigeria.
“The women empowerment initiative is a beacon of hope for a better future for our women and girls to thrive and contribute meaningfully to nation’s growth.
“We recognise the critical role our women play in providing healthcare and justice, they are the backbone of our communities and working tirelessly to provide for their families and uplift their communities and contributing significantly to our nation’s development and progress. For those of us from rural background, this is not strange and am one of you.
“From the bustling market to halls of academia, to corridors of power, humble homes and villages, women are driving positive change and sharping the future.
“As the president of Nigeria, I am committed to advancing the cause of women empowerment and gender equality in our dear nation. Don’t forget my mother was a great market woman,” said Mr. President.
He harped on the significance of prioritizing investment in agricultural training, land access, and financial services for women farmers to increase yield and improve livelihoods which would contribute to Nigeria’s food security, and additionally addressing health disparities and increasing access to quality healthcare and education essential in empowering women to control their health and wellbeing.
He added: “In our quest for justice for sustainability, we must ensure that women have access to justice and protected from all forms of violence and discrimination, these requires strengthening our institutions, promoting gender sensitive policies, and supporting womens rural organizations.”
President Tinubu urged all stakeholders from both government and private sectors to join hands and support the Empower-Her initiative that promotes women empowerment. He commended the Minister for her commitment to womenfolk and also thanked development partners for their unwavering support to Nigerian women.
In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye declared that the money realized from the ‘Empower-Her fundraising’ does not meant for the Ministry but intended for Nigerian women facing myriad of challenges that impact their ability to participate fully in society.
The Minister, whilst stating her positions on the areas of implementation, said the funds raised will be used to purchase buses that will operate across 36 states of the federation, including Abuja. Adding that the buses will facilitate the operation of the mobile court and ensure that justice is served.
The Minister had recently introduced Mobile Courts to expedite the delivery of justice in addressing gender-based issues. This initiative involves the collaboration of the Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, security agencies, and civil society organizations, among other relevant stakeholders.
“How do I want to take off? I need two busses per state, so I am going to start with Abuja and nasarawa state, and I will start immediately. As soon as the money lands in that account, I will buy, I didn’t say I will procure so that no procurement officer will come. I said, I will buy, keep the receipts of everything spent. One will be remolded to be a mobile court while the other one will be the raiding bus.
“I am going to start from taking off my children from the streets. I can’t continue leaving them there while men are defiling them. Every day I get one case or the other and I shed tears, my heart is broken totally. You see a three year old, the father has defiled her. You see a four year old, a teacher has defiled her, sodomize her, she’s leaking everywhere. She’s having fistula disease at four years? These are verifiable, and somebody is telling me, fold your hands and wait for their bottlenecks. Let Nigerians die before your bottlenecks are over?
“I decided to take the bold step to raise the money I want to work with so the mobile court will pick those girls. I will keep them in my home, feed them, take care of them, then take them to their homes and hand them to their mothers, then I will empower them all,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian businessman, CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum and Chief Launcher of Empower-Her fundraising initiative, Chief Arthur Eze, who announced the donation of N100 million, said it is to support the Minister’s cause in addressing the concerns of Nigerian women and girls.
Highlights of the occasion included donations from non-governmental organizations and the private sector, including Chief Executives of banks; the CEO of Cyberpedia Internet Governance, Mr. Abiodun Sowemimo who gifted N20 million and a bus to the cause, among other well-meaning individuals.
