Press statement
7th March 2018 at Intis Royal Suite Garki 2 Abuja
The Women For Women (W4W) is a women’s pressure group movement working in collaboration with men to press for progress in the realization of women’s empowerment and development in Nigeria.In recent times, women are alarmed at the decline and/or reversal in many of the gains of previous years as they record unimpressive figures in girls without formal education and drop outs, women without access to ante natal care, falling numbers of women in politics as elected and appointed representatives, absence of deliberate action to advance women by implementing the gender policy and other legislative instrument.
Also is the high incidence of unemployment for youth particularly women and the closing opportunities for people in poverty to lift themselves out. It would be seem with economic decline, the hope inspired by previous national programmes/ action is being deferred and/or abandoned.On other fronts, the exposure of women to violent crimes, herdsmen attacks, conflicts, internal displacements, exploitation by insurgents and militants, drugs and sexually induced crime/oppression and abuse have made the living environment for women and girls a matter of national emergency.
Yet, women are not helpless nor are they unmindful of their electoral power. Women are grateful for the partnership of men but challenge the leadership at all levels to act on their issues. They on the occasion of the International Women’s Day are compelled to recall the four UN global conferences on women giving raise the Beijing Plan of Action, the MDGs and now the SDGs. All these being international efforts (to which Nigeria is a signatory) geared towards putting women and girls at the centre of national development in all countries including Nigeria.
Nigeria cannot afford to abandon these commitments nor pretend that they do not count. We are today reminded of their commitment to 35% affirmative action (AA) in the National Gender Policy and the similar adoption of Affirmative Action principles by almost all political parties in their constitutions. Notwithstanding these positions, progress has been slow with several reversals.
However, some exciting gains have been made particularly with the passage of the Violence Against Persons Protection Act by the NASS. Unfortunately, even with that landmark legislative achievement, the appetite to prosecute and enforce in areas such as rape, sexual and emotional abuse, trafficking, etc have been limited. W4W calls on the NASS to take further steps by creating an enabling environment for the elimination of violence against women and ensuring their increased participation in all spheres of national development.
It is believed that when VAPP is backed by the domestication of CEDAW and the passing the Equal Opportunities Bill presented by Distinguished Senator Olujimi, it will be much easier to gain traction on making the country safer for women and girls and ensuring their empowerment and safety.Consequently, W4W is poised to raise thousands of women across Nigeria, across religious affiliations, across ethnic divide/ diversities, across geographic differences and across age, status, social class, disabilities, all other characterizations to press for progress on all fronts and demand that all who are desirous of leading Nigeria to factor the demands of women into their campaign including the adoption of deliberate steps to increase women’s participation in politics/ leadership and the twinning of women with men in all positions to ensure perspectives which advance their issues/ rights of women and girls are captured.
W4W is open to attract women and men and is working towards a massive rally and forum to raise national awareness around the issues that matter to women and girls. As a first step, we are joining women from across the world to celebrate the Women’s month today and raise their voice for a better Nigeria for all. A Nigeria where all are important and no one is left behind….certainly not Women or Girls.