International Women’s Day: Reps Push For Women’s Empowerment – Dogara
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara says the National Assembly is committed to set objectives that target women’s empowerment and inclusion at all levels of governance.
Speaker Dogara, who gave the assurance on the occasion of 2018 International Women’s Day, said the House leadership working hard to progressively eliminate challenges that have impeded gender parity in Nigeria,
In a statement to commemorate the Day in Abuja, he said the House is in tune with this year’s theme; ‘Press For Progress’, as it has increasingly been involved in activities and ventures meant to promote and uplift women in Nigeria.
According to him, his leadership is focused on gradual elimination of gender parity challenges in the country, such as lack of access to education, poverty and repressive cultural norms, even as he urged stakeholders to partner with the legislature to check gender-based discrimination in the country.
“The plight of the average Nigerian woman is one we are all familiar with. From childhood, many are denied education and subjected to other conditions which limit their aspirations. Many cultures also enforce practices which are detrimental to women’s health and overall well being. As a nation, we must collectively seek to put an end to all forms of discrimination against girls and women”, the Speaker said.
He stressed the importance of women’s inclusion in politics and governance, as well as the importance of having a society built on the tenets of egalitarianism, adding; “As the world presses for progress, Nigeria must not be left behind. We must completely eradicate discriminatory norms and usher in a new era of egalitarianism. All citizens should be considered equal before the law, and women are no exception.”
Speaker Dogara said Nigeria needs policies that will enhance the political representation and empowerment of women to influence laws and contribute to key decision making processes, maintaining that “Nigerian women are intelligent and resourceful and we must, as a matter of duty, create an enabling environment in which there are no systemic barriers to attaining their full potential.”
“The House of Representatives under my leadership has ensured that, irrespective of the fact that the number of female parliamentarians is way lower that that of their male counterparts, every one of them is either a chairperson of a committee or a deputy. a few exceptions occur where the lawmakers joined the House after the committees had already been constituted. The idea behind this, among others, is to put them in a position where they can fully exploit their potentials and to empower the Nigerian women.”
He stated that the House’s position has been amply demonstrated when it “voted largely in favour of Constitution amendment bills seeking to ensure balanced representation of women in governance.”
