Presidential Research & Communications Unit

“Determined to advance the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity…we dedicate ourselves unreservedly to addressing further the advancement and empowerment of women all over the world, and agree that this requires urgent action in the spirit of determination, hope, cooperation and solidarity, now and to carry us forward into the next century…women’s empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision- making process and access to power are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace…”

These were parts of the declarations adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, held in Beijing, China in September 1995 just as the world was at the threshold of a new millennium. The Platform for Action in its entirety required strong commitments on the parts of Governments, international organizations and institutions at all levels.

Nearly twelve years after, there have been global efforts by nations to lessen gender gap as reflected in their commitments and policies. Some advanced countries, however, had taken giant strides in women empowerment before this convention. In Nigeria, the Administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo made significant steps in this regard. In the spirit of its expressed policy in support of 30% Affirmative Action for the benefit of women, the Federal Government, under him made conscious and positive efforts at giving appropriate measures to reflect a good percentage of women in governance. He believed in the capabilities of the womenfolk, and kicked it off with the appointment of six women cabinet ministers as soon as he assumed office in 1999. His Administration, in a nutshell was the most gender sensitive in history.

In 2000, at the opening of an International Conference on Human Development and Growth: A Strategic Approach, President Obasanjo underscored the importance of women thus:

“This Administration with all due respect, has focused more on the visibility, genuine empowerment, dignity and participation of women in politics than at any point in our history. From very visible and powerful political appointments, to the position of the ruling party on opportunities for women, and my personal commitment to significantly improving the relevance and power of women, we are proud of our records. I have always subscribed to mainstreaming women’s issues in all sectors of political discourse and decision-making. …This administration will continue to do everything possible to support the cause of women, especially rural women”.

Then again during the Commonwealth Secretarial Workshop on Balancing Political Participation in Nigeria: Moving towards Gender Equality, President Obasanjo underlined his belief succinctly:

“Gender Equality is one of the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth, and I would like to emphasize that gender equality is achievable and with your numerical strength, women can and indeed are making a difference in governance in Nigeria. Given such numerical strength, Nigeria cannot afford to allow such abundant, qualified and skilled resources of women to be wasted. This Administration fully supports the efforts to balance gender representation and recommits itself to exercise the necessary political will to ensure that more women are appointed at all decision-making levels”.

He appointed more women to head strategic government agencies, ministries and parastatals more than the entire past leaders. Many female civil servants reached the peak of their careers as Directors-General and Permanent Secretaries; many more became Ambassadors or Heads of Foreign Missions. Women made up over 40% of the delegates to the 2005 National Political Reform Conference in Abuja. The place of women was never as prominent!

In support of the immediate past President’s vision and convictions in the past eight years, some political parties provided the platform for women to stand, run and win elections. This was largely due to the steady understanding that women’s participation in politics at local and national levels help to promote policies and legislations that support women, children and families as well as sustaining democracy. More women in politics, therefore means more tangible changes in policy outcomes in their favour. As the country progresses democratically, more political parties are systematically strategizing to support and promote women issues and project them as equal candidates for elected offices. This translates to more chances for competent women as they join political parties to pursue their political ambitions, steadily grow in their careers or get more academic laurels that would readily place them for recognition and possible appointment into decision-making positions.

Looking back today, Nigeria as the largest black democracy in the world is not doing badly after all. Considerable success has been recorded from 1999-2007. A few women won elections as deputy governors, senators, honourable members at both the federal and states assemblies in 1999. After the 2003 elections, there were about three female deputy governors, two female Speakers of States House of Assemblies, four female senators, 23 federal representatives, many at state levels and even much more as local government chairmen and councilors. Just after the April 2007 elections, there has been ‘avalanche’ of women deputy governors, senators, honourable members of both the Federal House of Representative and States Houses of Assemblies. The good news remains that all the women involved have not been overwhelmed by the responsibilities of these offices they occupy.

To crown this steady rise was the historical election of the first woman Speaker of the Federal House on June 5, 2007 in the person of Hon. Patricia Olubunmi Ette. In her inaugural address, her assurances were heart warming: “As the first woman to occupy this seat, blemish or failure must not be mentioned in the same breath as the office I am assuming. I will not let Nigerian women down and those who have decided that the Nigerian woman has come of age…” Her election, no doubt, has put her in the class of Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her exalted position has no doubt buoyed the image of Nigeria in its democratic growth.

More opportunities:
Given the fact that more women are upwardly having their names on the political halls of fame, more opportunities for them in politics would include:
• Enforcement of the Electoral Laws on campaign financing and limitation on election expenses
• Political Parties’ adoption of the 30% Affirmative Action (as a benchmark) in their electoral processes for the benefit of women seeking elective offices to ensure equity in political participation and governance.
• Institution of endowment funds by political parties to guarantee the candidature of women and their successes at different stages of the electoral process.
• Training in mentoring for elected women in both legislative and executive positions, with a view to encouraging such women to adopt younger ladies whom they can mentor to become successful like them.
• Maintenance of the already established Federal Ministry of Women Affairs’ Women’s Political Empowerment offices in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria; and the setting up of a Mandate Protection Group by the Ministry to monitor and secure women’s victory.
• Benefiting from the Gender and Elections projects of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Nigeria.

Other opportunities:

From the appreciable political developments, the mainstreaming of gender issues into government development and reform policies as well as more advocacies for laws to guarantee gender advancement/equality would naturally enjoy pride of place at the National Assembly and at the Executive levels. Consider, for example, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) reform programme of government. As the second phase kicks off mid 2007, the original four long-term goals of the programme, which include wealth creation, poverty reduction, employment generation and value re-orientation, should be harnessed to benefit more women given the influence they bring to bear as agents of positive change in the society.

Joined to this is the prospect for greater advocacy for laws, e.g. the Child Rights Act. As more states get to pass the Act into law in their respective domain, the rights of the girl child would be also protected for a better future.

Some projects of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs still remain veritable sources of enhancement for women economic empowerment. These include the Home-Grown Micro-Credit Scheme known as Women Fund for Economic Empowerment (WOFEE) targeted at women at the grassroots: and the Business and Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW) targeted at women entrepreneurs at both the small and medium scale levels.

The impressive number of women in the Governing Boards of Nigerian banks is another window of opportunities in women empowerment. As these women Board members help
to institute bank policies and facilities that would favour their gender, most average families managed by women would economically stabilize as their bread winners benefit.

In this regard, the foresight of former First lady, Mrs. Maryam Ibrahim Babangida (with the introduction of her Better Life for Rural Women Programme) comes readily as a good model for present First Ladies. Some First Ladies at the state levels deserve commendation for their programmes, which have empowered rural women in their states. If the present First Lady, Hajia Turai Umaru Yar’Adua, and her counterparts in the States, could channel their energy into assisting their husbands in governance towards eradicating illiteracy and poverty in women, posterity would record them as fine promoters of women empowerment in Nigeria.

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